Mahindra’s video of the Thar's capabilities was sure a treat. However, squint your eyes and you might notice a tiny little detail in the background that came in the form of an SUV in camo that was being tested in the facility. While we are not entirely sure which one was it, an apt bet would be the next generation KUV100. In 2018, there were reports of Mahindra planning to name the next-gen KUV100 as XUV100. And the matter has been silent since then. So as the car has now supposedly made an appearance again, our in-house designer Shoeb has rendered a car with all the details that we know so far.
As visible in the digital rendering, the new KUV100 is inspired by the elder sibling XUV300 in terms of the front end design. The narrow grille gets chrome diagonal slats same as the XUV300 and also sleek pointed LED DRLs. As in the new age SUVs, the headlamp unit is placed close to the fog lamps. There's ample use of body cladding throughout while the alloys are petal-shaped. There's no image of the cabin and the rear basis which we could have given you our design renderings.
While there are very little details about the KUV100 in the market, a few notable aspects of the car could be speculated at this time. For instance, being an entry-level car, Mahindra will stick to its decision of giving it only petrol powertrains. This could mean that powering the car would be a 1.2-litre mFalcon G80 petrol engine, currently seen in the KUV100NXT, which produces 82 PS and 115 Nm.
Speaking of features, the car could benefit from a touchscreen infotainment system with Mahindra BlueSense, auto climate control and steering-mounted controls along with safety features including ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts and airbags.
Also Read: Mahindra Thar price leaked ahead of launch next month
The transition from a KUV to an XUV could be justified by the need to add more relevance within the range. This could also be an important move considering that the competition is soon set to be stiff with upcoming offerings like the Tata HBX.
The price tag will closely resemble the KUV100 NXT starting from INR 5.5 lakh (ex-showroom).
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Mahindra updates and other four-wheeler news.
