Exclusive: Mahindra TUV300 Plus to get 6 speed gearbox, mHawk diesel engine

Mahindra will soon launch the TUV300 Plus, a longer version of the TUV300 compact SUV. The new SUV will feature a 6 speed manual gearbox, say our sources. The gearbox will derive torque from a 2.2 liter turbocharged diesel engine that’s also found on SUVs such as the Scorpio and XUV500.

In the TUV300 Plus though, this engine will be in the 120 Bhp and 280 Nm state of tune. If you have been following Mahindra closely, you will know that this very tune was offered in the Scorpio until recently. A rear wheel drive layout will be standard but four wheel drive won’t be available on any variant.

Another detail about the new SUV from Mahindra is that it will get black bumpers on the base variant, which will be pushed into the taxi market. Even this variant will get 16 inch wheels, but not alloys. The vehicle will get three rows of seats, with the front driver and passenger seats being captain seats. The rest of the seats will be benches, and will give the vehicle an 8 seater capacity.

While some reports state that the TUV300 Plus will replace the Xylo, our sources reveal that the Xylo will continue to be built because it’s an established brand. The TUV300 Plus will instead be positioned above the sub-4 meter TUV300, as a more spacious and rugged SUV alternative to the Renault Duster and Hyundai Creta. The TUV300 Plus’ price will be sandwiched between those of the TUV300 and the facelifted Scorpio.

The TUV300 will kickstart the slew of launches that Mahindra has planned from here on, until the end of next year. The company is making serious efforts to increase marketshare in India and wrest back the utility vehicle crown from Maruti Suzuki, whose Brezza, Ertiga, Eeco and Omni tpgether sell more than Mahindra’s entire utility vehicle line up.