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| Inside the Mahindra KUV100 its more durable plastic than Alcantra leather, which is how the buyers want it. |
MAHINDRA’s chief of international operations Arvind Mathew attended the launch of the new XUV 500 and KUV 100 in Johannesburg recently.
We asked Mathew what Mahindra had to offer that could save South African drivers fuel.
He said the solutions, which the company has rolled out around the globe, range from electric scooters to tractors.
In the U.S., the Mahindra GenZ is the first electric scooter from the company aimed squarely at millennials who do not want to own a car or sit in traffic, but who do want mobility.
In India, Mahindra offers drivetrains powered by electricity or natural gas, and the electric drivetrains were also being retrofitted to older vehicles.
He said currently only Mahindra vehicles were retrofitted, but nothing prevents the company’s engineers from adapting and fitting a Mahindra electric drive system to any vehicle.
In South Africa, CEO of Mahindra SA Rajesh Gupta said the KUV100 Nxt offered citizens the most frugal solution both in terms of fuel economy and monthly instalments. The company now has 59 dealers to provide services, and parts in stock worth over R60 million, as well as an assembly plant in Durban.
We drove the upright little family wagon. Inside it is as hard and plasticky as is the norm for budget cars, but the interior also boasts excellent industrial design that makes the most of the available volume.
The 1,2 m Falcon G80 turbo petrol engine is equipped with multi-point fuel injection and dual-variable valve timing to deliver 61 kW and 115 Nm of torque. This is sufficient at sea level, but barely adequate up in the Highveld.
There, you’d want the 1,2 m Falcon D75 turbo diesel engine, which has common rail direct injection and an intercooler to deliver 57 kW and a generous 190 Nm between 1 750 rpm and 2 250 rpm.
Driven with an eye on the rev counter, this low down torque and long gears will on average milk 20 km from a litre, giving a 700 km range from the 35-litre tank.
Our verdict: At a starting price of just under R205 000 for the diesel, the KUV100 Nxt diesel offers young families very good value.
