‘Mahindra and Mahindra’ will kick start the new year with the launch of the KUV 100. The ‘Kool Utility Vehicle’ touted to be the smallest SUV yet, is targeted at the youth below 30 years of age.
The Mahindra KUV 100 will be powered by the mFalcon G80 engine part of an all-new series of engines called the ‘mFalcon’. This is the first ever petrol engine created by the Indian carmaker. With an all-aluminium body, the car will also have the lightest engine in its segment. The BS IV emission standards-compliant 1.2-litre petrol unit develops 82bhp and 114Nm of maximum torque.
The KUV100 is expected to hit the market with a starting price of 4.5 lakh, making it the cheapest option in its category in the Indian automobile market. It is expected that the car will be well designed given the recent acquisition the Italian design firm Pininfarina by Mahindra.
The Indian carmaker is betting big on the car and has started taking bookings for it from December 19, 2015 onwards. Known for its powerful, muscular diesel utility vehicles, Mahindra was one of the worst hit by the Supreme Court’s recent order banning sale of diesel vehicles above 2000cc from Jan to March 2016. So the launch of the mFALCON is very crucial for the carmaker.
