Mahindra will soon launch the longer version of the TUV300 compact SUV. It’ll be called the TUV300 Plus but won’t be sold as an SUV. Instead, Mahindra plans to position it as a Xylo replacement, in the MPV/MUV segment. The people mover will get seating for seven to nine people, depending on the variant chosen. Here are the first uncamouflaged spyshots of the vehicle, inside-out.
The TUV300 Plus will be powered by a mHawk turbo diesel engine displacing 1.99 liters, and with 120 Bhp-280 Nm on tap. The 5 speed manual gearbox will drive the rear wheels of the vehicle. However, a four wheel drive layout is unlikely for this MUV. The ladder frame will be retained, albeit in a longer form. It’ll ride on 16 inch tyres, across variants.
The vehicle also wears a new top-hat. From the front, it looks very similar to the TUV300. Changes become apparent at the sides of the vehicle, as it’s much longer than its compact SUV sibling. At the rear, the tail lamps are new and so is the bumper design, which is more rounded than that of the TUV300. The spare wheels sits on the tail-gate, similar to its positioning on the sub-4 meter TUV300.
The interiors of the TUV300 Plus look similar to those on the sub-4 meter version. The dashboard and the trims all look the same. The features offered are also expected to be similar, but the AMT option is likely to be dropped on this MUV. AC vents for the rear passengers are likely considering the vehicle’s people-mover positioning. The extensive parts sharing will drive down costs for Mahindra, allowing the automaker to price this vehicle very competitively.
Seating layouts will be very different from the sub-4 meter model. We expect one version to offer four captain seats and a rear bench, in a 7 seat layout. Another version is likely to offer two captain seats and two benches to make room for 8 passengers. A cab-operator focused variant is likely to pack in two captain seats, a 3 seat bench in the middle and two jump seats for four passengers at the rear. This will give the TUV300 Plus a capacity for 9 passengers, similar to what the Xylo offers on its taxi variant.
