On the highway, the cabin turns noisy. The reason is that, because the KUV100 has an SUV stance, the body is not as aerodynamic as, say, the Grand i10’s.
“Are you sure this car will be able to traverse the slippery, icy roads you will encounter a few miles ahead?” questions the petrol pump attendant in Shimla.
We are driving Mahindra KUV100—the chic, hatchback-like SUV, which competes with Maruti Swift and Hyundai Grand i10—from Delhi to Narkanda, via Shimla, a 414-km distance. Our goal is to understand what the KUV100 really is—a hatchback in the guise of an SUV, or the other way round? For the record, Mahindra call it the ‘Young SUV’.
No matter what your destination is, the finest hour to leave Delhi is early morning. Driving the KUV100 within city limits is a revelation. You sit higher than hatchback drivers and handling is nimble. The gear lever, mounted on the centre console, is easy to reach and shifts smoothly. The clutch pedal is soft.
The variant we have is the top-end petrol (K8). The mFALCON G80 three-cylinder engine has a good low-end torque, so power is available almost instantly in city-driving conditions.
Once you leave Delhi, it’s a straight road, until you reach Ambala, 200-km away.
On the highway, the cabin turns noisy. The reason is that, because the KUV100 has an SUV stance, the body is not as aerodynamic as, say, the Grand i10’s. Air presses against the windshield at high speeds, which leads to a lot of noise.
Another reason is that three-cylinder units generally have a rougher engine note than four-cylinder. At speeds above 120kph, it is more likely that occupants will shout, not converse.
While the engine is rev-happy and has a good throttle response, at speeds above 120kph it starts to lose steam. The KUV100 petrol performs its best in the 80-120kph range. We cover the 200-km stretch in just 2.5 hours.
From Ambala, you have to get on to NH22, also called the Hindustan Tibet road. After crossing Panchkula (a Chandigarh suburb), you enter a beautiful section of NH22, called the Himalayan Expressway—a 27.5-km stretch that cuts the Shivalik range, connecting Zirakpur in Punjab to Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh.
The climb begins at Parwanoo. The KUV100 is a taller vehicle than hatchbacks, but to our surprise it handles twisty country roads well. Body roll is minimal.
On a full tank from Delhi, we reach the aforementioned petrol pump, 350 km away, after a six-hour journey, getting a fuel-efficiency of 14kpl, which is not as good as what the Swift will deliver, but commendable.
Observing the Mahindra logo, the attendant asks us: “Are you sure it is petrol-powered?”
Mahindra has a strong diesel-engine DNA, more so in the hilly areas of India, where its torquey vehicles (diesel engines have better pulling power than petrol) are very popular as people movers and goods carriers.
As we top up (the fuel tank is 35 litres), the attendant warns, “There is a lot of black ice ahead.”
Black ice is a thin coating of ice on roads. The ice is not black, but is transparent, so all you see is black road through it. It is practically invisible to drivers. There is, thus, a risk of skidding due to unexpected loss of traction.
We find it soon enough, at a place called Kufri; we also encounter a brief round of blizzard.
Despite being warned, the first reaction to loss of traction comes by way of slamming the brakes.
The result is the KUV100 skids, despite its ABS (anti-lock braking system) working furiously. We notice a Maruti Gypsy—a proven SUV—too trailing us in a haphazard fashion. On such surfaces, it doesn’t matter whether you are driving an SUV or a hatchback. What matters is presence of mind. All you have to do is immediately downshift (put the vehicle into a lower gear) to slow down.
Narkanda is a sleepy town, 63 km from Shimla. In winters, it strangely empties itself. You may have a hard time finding a decent restaurant. That’s the reason most hotels—those which are operational in winters—offer meals as part of the package.
Locals—disconnected from the world in winters—haven’t seen such a small Mahindra vehicle. We get two reactions.
Amazement: Why does it look like an inflated water balloon?
Horror: Why did Mahindra make such a car?
On a closer inspection, however, most take a fancy to it. “The plastic quality is one of the best in a Mahindra,” says one. “Its small turning radius means I can easily drive it on narrow country roads,” says another.
In the hills, fuel-efficiency figure drops. For the entire 414-km journey, we manage 13kpl.
Sub-zero temperatures, black ice, low light and a brief round of blizzard don’t stop the KUV100 from reaching its destination.
So, how much of a sport utility vehicle this ‘Young SUV’ is?
If you go by the definition of an SUV—all-wheel drive, traction control, raised ground clearance, hill descent control—the KUV100 is a hatchback, at best. Its SUV stance, however, ensures you sit high, and there is enough head and legroom. Moreover, it handles bad roads well, its urban manners are refined, and there is good cabin space.
Even it does pretend to be an SUV, we don’t really mind.
KUV100 petrol is priced Rs 4.45 lakh for entry-level K2 to Rs 5.99 lakh for top-end K8 (ex-showroom, Delhi)
In this series—Destination India—we drive different cars to different parts of the country, telling you in brief both about the places and the wheels we take to explore these