technically it’s a new car that deserves its new name – NuvoSport – a
hardly subtle nod to one of its potential competitors, the Ford
EcoSport. But since Mahindra so recently added a sub-four-metre,
ladder-frame SUV – the TUV300 – to its line-up, was there need to launch
another, and what does the NuvoSport do differently?
Well, it certainly does look different from the TUV300, but whether
it’s better for it is up to you. I personally think it has more
character than the TUV’s crude-looking blocky shape, but it’s not what
you’d call pretty. The frumpy bulldog face is created by a huge air dam
at the base and also a large and high-set grille. On either side of this
are headlamps capped by strips of LED running lamps, while fog lamps
and a faux bash plate feature lower down, and if the nose of this SUV
wasn’t crowded enough, there’s also a wide intake high up to feed the
new top-mounted intercooler. There’s an abundance of black cladding all
around the car now and, as mentioned before, the sides are identical to
the Quanto, which is to say flat and upright. The only changes are new
‘mHawk100’ badges and a chrome accent under the mirrors, and smart new
16-inch alloys. At the back, it’s exactly the same, except that the
colour scheme has changed a little, with a lot more black colour to help
cut the bulk.
What’s it like on the inside?
Disappointingly, the inside is pretty much the same as the Quanto,
which in turn was the same as the Xylo, and that means, in modern
company, it looks positively ancient. There are the awkwardly shaped AC
vents that sit atop a tall and upright centre console, and the really
wide transmission tunnel with two cupholders embedded next to the
gearlever. There are, of course, some changes. A makeshift ‘pod’ has
been shoehorned into the dash to house the new touchscreen, the AC
controls have been borrowed from the TUV300 and so have a few other bits
of switchgear. The touchscreen in question is not a fancy custom unit
like in the Scorpio and XUV500, but instead an aftermarket unit from
Kenwood, and it doesn’t feature navigation.
Quality levels appear to have improved since the Quanto, but they’re
still nowhere near class standards, and even feel a notch down on the
freshly designed TUV300. There are also some odd design decisions in the
cabin – there’s an electronic release button for the fuel tank, for
instance, but no button to unlock the doors from the inside; you have to
lift the knob on the door. And while there is a screen between the
dials, it only shows the odometer. All the other pertinent information
like outside temperature, selected and optimal gear (handy in the
manual, essential in the AMT), fuel computer and trip meters are in the
tiny monochrome display above the AC vents in the centre.
Where you certainly won’t feel the pinch is on space. Mahindra says
there’s even more of it in here than in the TUV300, which was already
impressive for its size. Thanks to the longer 2,760mm wheelbase, you get
more legroom, but Mahindra also says it’s wider, and that there’s more
space in the pair of jump seats that reside in the boot. Yes, this too
is a seven-seater, and we still don’t recommend using the side-facing
rearmost seats, especially as they don’t have seatbelts. Space in the
second row is truly impressive though, and the seat too is large and
supportive, if a little flat. You do have to make quite a hike up into
this high-set cabin, thanks to the rugged body-on-frame construction,
but once you do, it’s easy to get comfy. M&M is happy to point out
that the seatback of the second row can now be reclined for added
comfort, but then you realise you have to first fold down the jump seats
to make this possible. Incidentally, those seats are standard on all
variants, and you can’t have this as a five-seater, even if you wanted
to. What is good, though, is that the NuvoSport will be available with
optional ABS and dual airbags on even the base model.
What’s it like to drive?
As I mentioned before, there are a few mechanical changes, but they are
significant. The Scorpio and TUV’s new-generation ladder-frame chassis
has been squeezed into the Quanto’s body-in-white, and so the shape and
stance has had to be kept identical. The engine is the next evolution of
Mahindra’s 1.5-litre, three-cylinder diesel, now dubbed the ‘mHawk100’.
This implies that its power output is 102hp (or 100bhp) and torque is
240Nm, and while those numbers are similar to the old Quanto’s, Mahindra
says this is from an all-new engine family, and as such is closer
related to the TUV300’s mHawk80 engine.
Start it up and it certainly feels that way. Refinement is improved, in
that what you hear is no longer a truck-like rattle, but instead a
softer rumble, but you still feel many vibrations through the tall gear
lever. Idle is quiet enough and it only really raises its voice once
you’re past 1,500rpm. It shares the strengths and weaknesses of the
TUV’s mHawk80. It’s incredibly responsive off the line, which should
make the NuvoSport easy to scoot in and out of gaps in traffic with, and
torque low down is abundant in general. It’s also surprisingly smooth
at lower engine speeds. However, it runs out of breath very quickly, and
doesn’t have much of a top end at all. You can rev it all the way to
5,000rpm, but at that point it’s mostly just noise and nothing else. You
really have to move up a gear at about 3,800rpm to make smooth
continuous progress. In isolation, the NuvoSport doesn’t immediately
feel like it has 20 more horsepower than the TUV300, but we’ll have to
drive them back to back to be sure.
The other addition is the option of an AMT gearbox on the top two
trims. Mahindra has co-developed this gearbox with Ricardo, and the
first one, which we saw on the TUV300, was a big disappointment. The
company has since reworked the software to “better suit Indian driving
styles” and it’s this updated version that features on the NuvoSport. We
only got to try it on Mahindra’s test track, but it does seem a little
bit smoother than before. However, the creep function is still a little
reluctant, and thanks to the weight of the car, it’s still a little
nerve-wracking to do a hill start with the AMT.
The new chassis has helped dynamics a little bit, but you can’t cheat
physics – this is still a tall, heavy, boxy ladder-frame SUV, and it
comes with the associated shortcomings. The tall driving position does
give you a commanding view out, but the high dashboard and tapering nose
mean, surprisingly, it’s not easy to see where the bonnet ends. There
is, as you’d expect, a lot of body roll and the steering feels rubbery
and inconsistent. I know this isn’t a hot hatchback, but the simple fact
is, monocoque SUV rivals are just so much better to drive. Ride quality
is much better than the Quanto thanks to the new chassis, but the setup
is on the soft side. So while it can iron out smaller bumps and
potholes really well, larger bumps create a bigger upset. And as you
pick up the pace, you’ll feel a lot of movement inside the cabin; in
fact, hit a rough patch at highway speeds and your passengers will be
tossed around quite a lot.
Should I buy one?
As an attempt to breathe life back into a less-than-stellar product –
the Quanto – the NuvoSport has done a great job. But then, with a new
chassis, new engine and new automatic gearbox, it’s practically an
all-new car. Sadly it’s had to retain some of the Quanto’s biggest sore
points – most notably the aged, lacklustre cabin and the boxy shape. The
bigger question is, where does it fit into the compact SUV class,
especially since the TUV300 already exists? The TUV’s marketing focuses
on the SUV’s toughness, while the NuvoSport’s is focused on lifestyle,
so clearly the latter is positioned slightly higher – something that’s
confirmed by its price of Rs 7.35-9.76 lakh (ex-showroom, Thane). This
means the NuvoSport is meant to be a stronger rival to the Maruti Vitara
Brezza and Ford EcoSport. Sure, it looks unique, it’s got loads of
space, and it’s comfy at low speeds, but apart from that, it’s not got
enough strengths to really give fight to its modern competition. The
TUV300 stood out for being something different – a tough, ladder-frame
SUV in a class of car-like monocoques. It was a small niche that the
NuvoSport is now also trying to squeeze into. But for the premium, it
really doesn’t bring enough extra to the table.
