SUV segment a big rage! M&M to launch compact TUV300 in September

NEW DELHI: Adding yet another competitor to the popular Sports Utlity Vehicle (SUV) space, Mahindra and Mahindra on Thursday named its upcoming SUV as the TUV300. The TUV300 is slated for a September release. The sub-4m SUV's nomenclature stands for 'Tough Utility Vehicle'.

Speaking to ET Now, Pawan Goenka, M&M's executive director and president of automotive and farm equipment sectors, said, "TUV 300 is a brand new platform in terms of its body and interiors and falls in the Sub-4 meta segment."

"The TUV300 is not designed to be a crossover, it is a true blue SUV, traditional Mahindra style," he added.

Goenka told ET Now that TUV300 is not a replacement to the Bolero or any Mahindra product.

"We would like to ensure this SUV has all the requirements that users would like to see in this new segment," Goenka told ET Now.

Mahindra sought help from Italian design house Pininfarina for the design of the TUV300, according to Indianautosblog.com.



Powering the model is a new-generation diesel engine Mahindra calls the ‘mHawk80'. The turbocharged mHawk80 has superior NVH levels and performance than the current 1.5-liter engine used on the Quanto.

While the TUV’s platform is ready for a 4WD system, Mahindra will not offer it at the launch. It is a ‘global product’ and will have a LHD version, Mahindra confirmed. The vehicle was developed at the Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai and will be manufactured at the Chakan plant, which presently makes the XUV500.

The firm, Goenka told ET Now, is working on a series of clutch-less models to tap into increasing demand among India's urban automobile buyers.



Automated manual transmission (AMT), a clutch-less technology that is more fuel-efficient than manual transmission and nearly as comfortable as automatic without adding much to the cost, is what Mahindra is betting on.

TUV300's announcement comes days after Hyundai unveiled its much awaited SUV, Creta. On the other hand, Honda is considering introducing a compact SUV in the country and has undertaken a study on it. Speaking about new launches, company director and senior vice president - marketing & sales, Hiroyuki Shimizu recently said Honda has no plans for more new launches this year, but is seriously considering the compact SUV segment.