Mahindra KUV 100 facelift spotted testing near Chennai

Mahindra and Mahindra had recently announced its plan to launch a facelift version of its entry level SUV nay hatchback Mahindra KUV 100. Less than two years, since its launch, the sales numbers of the KUV 100 seems to be on a tumbling note with Mahindra barely able to move 1500 units per month in a segment which churns maximum volume in the Indian market.

The major complaints against the KUV 100 being its highly extrovert looks which polarised many opinions. With this facelift, Mahindra is planning to hopefully make the baby KUV 100’s looks a bit more palatable. In line with this, test mules of the KUV 100 facelift have been spotted testing near Chennai, the photos of which have surfaced online. The test mules were heavily camouflaged which although reveal bits and pieces here and there.

The front bumper gets revised air intakes and fog lamp enclosure at the front. The chrome braces in the grille look bigger, while the pulled back headlamps that stretch to the A-Pillar now appears to extend up till the edge of the LED DRLs. The rear bumper too has been tweaked with toned down creases towards the wheel arches, while the detailing of the rear taillamp appear to be new. From the pic it is clear that the test mule rides on new 15 inch alloy wheels.

Mechanically, the KUV 100 should retain the existing powertrains and suspension setup. The KUV 100 will continue to soldier on with its 1.2 litre G80 mFalcon petrol good enough for 82 bhp and the 1.2 L D75 mFalcon diesel engine producing 77 bhp. Both the engines will be mated to the standard fare 5-speed manual gearbox. While the diesel KUV 100 returned a healthy mileage in real world conditions, many petrol users were not happy with the fuel consumption. Hopefully, Mahindra uses this opportunity to address the concerns.

While Mahindra KUV 100 is a good car, its over zealous looks and quirky shape turned down many prospective buyers who also turn out to be first time car buyers. Rather than wanting to get associated with the quirk, the customers started moving to more conservative designs which the market is flooded with. The facelifted KUV 100 should be more in line with the market’s tastes and should help revive the hatchback from Mahindra.

[Source: IndianAutosBlog]