Mahindra is about to enter the competitive compact SUV market with the launch of the TUV300 next week. Here are some of the top features that we will see in the car

1.)  Body on Frame construction: First things first, the Mahindra TUV300 isn’t a Bolero replacement. It is Mahindra iteration of a sub-4 metre SUV which will be based on the all-new body on frame developed for the 2014 Scorpio. Needless to say the TUV300 chassis will be shorter than the one on the Scorpio which will result in reduced weight. Moreover, for the Scorpio, Mahindra had also stiffened and strengthened the chassis, and in the TUV300 it should be no different. In fact even in comparison to the Bolero, the TUV300 is expected to be nimbler, shorter and stiffer. 

2.) Interior and features: So far we have only got a short glimpse of what the interior of the TUV300 would look like. But if the spy shots and the image shared by on the TUV300 twitter handle are anything to go by, it will carry the Mahindra family design. The dashboard is a combination of beige and black. It gets an all new steering wheel with mounted controls for audio and telephony. Just like the previous XUV500, the TUV300 too has lots of tell-tale lights on the instrumentation. Not something we are particularly fond of. In terms of safety it is expected to come with 2 airbags and ABS. Other features would include keyless entry, central locking, parking sensors and more. It will be interesting to see Mahindra installs the TUV300 with the start/stop feature to keep the efficiency in check. 

3.) Seating: Despite being a sub-4 metre SUV, just like the Quanto, Mahindra has fitted the TUV300 with a 5+2 seating arrangement – with bucket seats up front, bench seats in the middle and jump seats for the passengers at the back. The Nashik based car maker had tried the same format when they launched the QUANTO a few years back, but that however didn’t seem to go well with the buyers. It will be interesting to see if they have done things any differently in the TUV300. 

4.) Engine: Mahindra hasn’t shared too much information about the engine of the TUV300 as yet, except that it will come with a mHawk80 series powerplant. This one is a 1.5-litre diesel unit. In the Quanto, the same engine makes power of 100 horses and 240Nm of torque. The Quanto returns an ARAI claimed figure of 17.1kmpl, the TUV300 is expected to return a marginally better figure. 

5.) AMT:  While the compact SUV segment is right down the alley for a lot of buyers, the demand for automatic options in this segment too is rapidly increasing. Hyundai recently brought in the Creta and Mahindra too introduced the Scorpio Automatic. With the launch of the TUV300, Mahindra intends to offer what could be the cheapest automatic SUV on offer in the country. Mahindra is expected to launch the TUV300 with an AMT option. It is expected to undercut the Creta as well as the Scorpio Automatic in terms of price. Aside from the AMT, the TUV300 will also be sold with a manual gearbox.

6.) Accessories: With spy shots of the TUV making its rounds on the internet, there has been a lot of buzz about the TUV300’s design. Mahindra had unveiled the sketches of the car late last month but the production version doesn’t look as meaty. However, the sketches shown were that of the ‘decked up’ version. Mahindra says that most of its SUVs at least go through a small amount of personalisation, the TUV will be no different. Mahindra will offer a long list of customisation extras like bull bars, claddings, additional lights and of course larger wheels. 

Courtesy : Autocar

Models from Renault's budget brand, Dacia to first feature the AMT technology; will be displayed at the Frankfurt motor show.

Renault will soon make its foray into the AMT gearbox club. The carmaker has announced that it will showcase its first set of AMT-equipped vehicles at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show. The AMT technology from Renault is expected to be named 'Easy-R'.

However, while an AMT-equipped Renault could take a while to be actualised, it is the company's budget brand, Dacia, that will first make use of the AMT technology. The new Logan, the Logan MCV, the Dacia Sandero and the Sandero Stepway will be the first models to get the Easy-R in European markets.

For India, Renault is developing an AMT-equipped version of the upcoming Kwid. Expected to be launched in India soon, it will feature an innovative rotary knob on the centre console for the gearbox. This indicates that drivers will not get the option of shifting manually as seen in other AMT-equipped offerings from Maruti and Tata.

Courtesy : Autocar