Mahindra TUV300 spotted with minimal camouflage - Spied

08/08/2015 - 21:34 Mahindra TUV300, Mahindra, Spy pictures Shrawan Raja

Design inspired by a battle-tank.

More revealing images of the Mahindra TUV300 have emerged on Anything-On-Wheels blog.

Mahindra TUV300 grey unit spotted — The TUV300 was researched and developed at the Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai.

Inspired in design by a battle tank, the TUV300 has an upright front end with a boxy silhouette. Up front, the seven-slat grille takes its place between a pair of functionally designed headlamps. Mahindra said at the brand announcement that it consulted Italian design firm Pininfarina for the TUV300.

The spied variant could be the base model, evident from the black bumpers and door handles, and steel wheels. The D-Pillar, like other Mahindras, wears a glossy black applique to give the 'floating roof' impression. The plainly designed taillights are stacked vertically, and like the Quanto the exposed spare wheel is mounted at the rear.

Mahindra TUV300 rear grey unit spotted — The model will be launched from the Chakan production plant (in Pune) with a 1.5-liter 'mHawk80' engine.

What appears to be a covered jump seat appears behind the rear windshield, hinting that certain TUV300 variants could be seven-seaters.

The TUV300 is based on a new rugged hydroformed ladder frame chassis and measures under 4 meters long. It is powered a three-cylinder 'mHawk80' diesel engine, and while not official, should make about 80 bhp and 240 Nm. Mahindra said the engine would have better NVH and performance levels compared to the current 1.5-liter. It will be paired with a five-speed manual transmission, while an AMT would be an option, tell spyshots.

While the TUV300 may look like an SUV (or a mini version of a Hummer or a Toyota FJ Cruiser) it certainly won't be able to do any off-roading as Mahindra has ruled out a 4WD system due to lack of demand, but said it would spawn a LHD variant for exports.

The TUV300 is based on an all-new platform, Mahindra said, when it revealed the branding.

Also Read: 2015 Mahindra Thar (facelift) launched at INR 8.03 lakhs

The Indian market launch of the TUV300 is confirmed for mid-September, and Mahindra is expected to price it between INR 6.5 - 9 lakhs (ex-showroom). Sri Lanka, Nepal South Africa, Philippines, Tunisia and Chile are some of the markets where Mahindra could export the car to, a year after its launch.