Mahindra has just released the official images of the Nuvosport, which is essentially the Quanto with a massive facelift and a new name. The automaker emphasized that the new vehicle is much more than just a facelift, and that the new SUV will be launched in India on the 4th of April, 2016.
Under the skin, the compact SUV moves away from the Xylo platform and embraces the new generation platform that underpins the facelifted Scorpio. The Scorpio connection is expected to make the Nuvosport a much more refined vehicle than the Quanto ever was, just as how the new Scorpio is a big improvement over the older one.
The Nuvosport is expected to sit under the TUV300 in terms of price and positioning, and will give Mahindra additional ammunition to take on the likes of the Ford Ecosport and the Maruti Vitara Brezza. A sharp price that undercuts the TUV300 significantly should give the Brezza something to worry about.
The Nuvosport features a ladder frame chassis and a rear wheel drive layout, which means that it’ll continue to be quite heavy despite all the hydroforming. The mechanicals are expected to be shared with the TUV300. The 1.5 liter, triple cylinder twin scroll turbocharger equipped diesel motor with 84 Bhp-230 Nm on tap seems like a given.
A 5 speed manual gearbox will be standard while an automated manual transmission (AMT) will be offered as an option. A four wheel drive layout is unlikely, and it remains to be seen if Mahindra adds a petrol motor to the Nuvosport at the time of launch, considering that the automaker has announced such an option for all its new SUVs.
Coming to the features on offer in the Nuvosport, here’s what the compact SUV’s top end version will get:
- Cruise Control
- Steering mounted audio controls
- LED DRLs
- Double DIN stereo with Bluetooth
- Electrically adjustable wing mirrors
- Arm rests for driver and passenger
- 12V charging sockets at the front and rear
- 8 way adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support
- 7 seat layout with twin jump seats
- Rear seat with 60:40 split