महिंद्रा टीयूवी300

The Mahindra TUV300 was the company’s second attempt at having a strong subcompact SUV in the market. When the TUV300 was first launched in India, back in 2015 the SUV came with several unique attributes that made it a strong value proposition. It was the only offering to come with the butch and boxy design of a conventional SUV, it was the largest in terms of proportions (height and width) in the segment despite its sub-4 meter length, and it was the first and only subcompact SUV to offer a 7-seater cabin.

Design

Visually, the TUV300 Facelift looks every bit that bold and butch SUV as the day it was first launched, however, to add that extra bit of toughness and premiumness, Mahindra has made several styling updates. The front grille now comes with a stylish glossy black frame in addition to the matching black details inside the headlamp cluster. The headlamps now also come with integrated daytime running lamps. The shiny chrome elements around the grille slots and the square fog lamps too have also been replaced with dark chrome bezels, which certainly go well with the overall black treatment. The alloy wheels get a dark chrome effect, while the rear section features a clear-glass taillamps, a bigger rear spoiler, and a revised bumper with the blacked-out lower half. All that said, the most noticeable change, of course, is the new X-shaped cover for the tailgate-mounted spare wheel.

Cabin

Inside, the TUV300 comes with a dual tone black and being interior with matching two-tone seat covers, which in the top-end trim are upholstered in leatherette, with cross stitching pattern. The dashboard comes with a four-spoke steering wheel which comes with mounted controls for audio and telephony. Behind it, you have the same twin-pod instrument cluster with chrome bezels and a MID unit at the centre offering readouts for fuel gauge, gear position indicator and more. The centre of attraction, of course, is the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display which continues to come with a bunch of controls on either side.

In fact, now the system also doubles up as the display for the new reverse parking camera. Having said that, Mahindra still doesn't offer Apple Carplay or Android Auto which is a big miss considering almost every other SUV in this space gets both the applications. Although, we wish Mahindra would have considered offering a rear air-con vent, which is right now available in almost every subcompact SUV, and it's also a much-needed feature for the TUV300 if Mahindra wants 5 individuals to sit at the back.

Driving Experience

Power on the Mahindra TUV300 continues to be offered by the tried and tested 1.5-litre mHawk100 diesel engine and it certainly remains one of the biggest highlights of the SUV, however, it's still not BS6 compliant yet. However, now the engine only comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. The 1,493 cc, four-cylinder, turbocharged oil burner churns out 99 bhp, all of which is offered around 3700 rpm, while the peak torque of 240 Nm, comes in from as low as 1500-1600 rpm, and goes all the way up to 2800 rpm. The gearbox too remains pretty much a delight, as the shifts are nice and precise and a firm nudge on the lever is more than enough to put the gear in the right slot. Also, for an SUV, the TUV300 certainly has a pretty light clutch, so it's easier to drive in traffic as well, but the steering continues to be a bit on the heavier side, not that bothersome but you feel the weight. The TUV300 offers great handling as well, but the suspension is a bit on the softer side, so while it can handle the small bumps and undulations on the road quite effortlessly, the ride does feel a bit bouncy on really bad patches, especially if you are sitting in the rear seat.
Safety

The list of safety features on the TUV300 are decent. You get dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and cornering brake control, ISOFIX child seat mounts for the second row, seatbelt reminder lamp, auto door lock and more. In fact, the anti-theft warning is the only feature that is not standard, which is also only missing on the base model T4+.

Price

The Mahindra TUV300 is currently not on sale in India as the company is yet to launch the BS6 version, which is expected to come in next year, in 2021, with some considerable updates. The BS4 model was priced in India between Rs. 8.54 lakh to Rs. 10.55 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).