Mahindra officially names Mini Xylo as Quanto; Launches next month

28/08/2012 - 20:46 | ,  ,   | Kaustubh Shinde

This news should come as no surprise to you. Mahindra has just notified IAB that they have officially named the Mini Xylo (codenamed U203) as the Mahindra Quanto.

Adeel Mahindra Quanto testing

We have already filled you in with a comprehensive story that details each and every aspect of the Quanto. The company has also confirmed that the much awaited Quanto will be launched in second half of September 2012.

As we were about to go live with the details, our reader Adeel Ahmad from Gurgaon sent us this snap of a test prototype in its last stages of testing. Like so many other IAB readers, Adeel says he's looking forward to the Quanto's launch himself and hopes it fulfills all the needs of his future car.

The Quanto will be based on the Ingenio platform (shared with the Xylo and Genio) and is neatly packaged in a chassis measuring under four meters long. Mahindra sees the Quanto as

“a versatile SUV which combines the easy maneuverability and compactness of a hatchback with the rough-road capability and power of an SUV, suitable for weekend getaways, making it a ‘24x7’ car”

Mahindra hopes to carve a niche segment for itself with the Quanto. The only competition that the Quanto has is the Premier Rio. Sure, the Premier Rio now comes with a Multijet diesel engine but Premier Auto does not have the dealership spread or brand awareness to challenge Mahindra.

We expect the Mahindra Quanto to be fitted with a 1.5-liter 3cyl twin-turbo diesel engine producing 100hp @ 3,750 rpm and a torque of 240Nm between 1,600-2,800 rpm.

The Quanto could also be a seven seater in some variants with space for two children in the third row. These last row seats are not like the jump seats that you find in the Renault Duster or add-ons like on the Mitsubishi Outlander. These are proper seats with seat belts but only suited for kids.

We expect the Mahindra Quanto to be an instant hit just like the XUV500. Moreover, Mahindra has planned the Quanto's launch very carefully to make sure it will get the boost of the festive season cheer.

You might also like