Mahindra KUV100 AMT spied: India’s cheapest automatic SUV coming soon

The Mahindra KUV100 is one of the most affordable SUVs that money can buy in India, and is a micro SUV that doesn’t really have a direct competitor yet. It’ll soon become India’s cheapest automatic SUV considering the fact that Mahindra is about to debut AMT variants of the KUV100 soon.

The AMT unit will be sourced from Ricardo, the auto-parts supplier that also supplies other AMT units used on Mahindra SUVs such as the TUV300. The Mahindra KUV100 equipped with the AMT unit was spotted without camouflage in Mumbai, outside the automaker’s Kandivali factory. The micro SUV’s AMT variants have already been confirmed for launch by the automaker’s top management.

The AMT unit on the KUV100 is expected to get creep and economy modes. A hill hold function, though unlikely to be present, would be a good feature to have. While an exact launch timeline for the KUV100 AMT is not out yet, it’s likely that the micro SUV’s petrol and diesel AMT variants could be launched later this year, or earliest by next year.

The AMT option will be offered on both the petrol and diesel variants of the KUV100. As for pricing, the Mahindra KUV100 AMT is expected to be priced about Rs. 50,000 more than the equivalent, manual gearbox-equipped variants. The KUV100 is a 6-seater micro SUV, and in the next couple of years, will get rivals from the likes of Tata, Maruti and Hyundai. Currently, the only competition for the KUV100 comes from the Maruti Ignis.

Currently, the KUV100 sold in India gets two engine options – a 1.2 litre-3 cylinder naturally aspirated unit with 84  Bhp-115 Nm, and a 1.2 litre turbocharged diesel motor with 75 Bhp-190 Nm. A 5 speed manual gearbox is standard. A front wheel drive layout and a monocoque body are what the vehicle offers.

Airbags and ABS are also on offer. The micro SUV also gets a range of customization options for customers to choose from. Prices of the Mahindra KUV100 start from Rs. 4.61 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi. Notably, the Mahindra micro SUV will also get an electric powertrain in the future. The automaker has already displayed the e-KUV100 at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo.

Via Motoroids