Page 21 - Motoring Summer 2021

MAHINDRA TEST REVIEW

Mahindra KUV100 Nxt 1.2 K6+ #DARE

he KUV100 is the baby of the local gearbox, this system constantly stalled the engine. Worse was the fact that, while
Mahindra range. It features amongst I always applaud manufacturers for fitting auto-lock on pull-off, when the car
TA segment cars yet it still shows a bit stalled, it immediately unlocked all the doors and then relocked them when you
of Crossover/SUV styling. It has a tall and pulled away. Those few moments of the doors being unlocked could be disastrous
narrow stance and is the ideal size for a small if you’re in the wrong neighbourhood!
city car. The little engine provides 61kW and 115Nm and this is where I feel that the
The typical toughness of Mahindra KUV is best suited to urban driving. The very low torque makes highway cruising an
products is well known and this little baby exercise that requires constant use of the gearbox. Inclines or overtaking require
shows the same traits as its bigger brothers. planning and lots of downshifting.
There are only two engine options in the Overall, the KUV100 is an example where I would actually choose the most
range, 1.2l 3-cylinder petrol or diesel, with basic model without extras and know that I’m getting a tough and reliable vehicle
5-speed manual gearboxes driving the front at a very affordable price in the market segment.
wheels. Talking of the gearbox, the placing of The KUV100 is priced from R158 999 with the test car at R207 999. K6+ models
the gear lever high up on the fascia places it and upwards include a 3-year/50 000km service plan. n
very conveniently to hand and also frees up
some extra space at the bottom between the Click here to see our full video review: https://www.youtube.com/
seats. As expected, the shifts are light and watch?v=pcAT-y__t2Y
easy, as are all the controls on the car.
The range is differentiated only by
specification levels and it’s good to see that
all models have two airbags as standard.
Recently, the #DARE models were added to
the range to provide a bit of extra appeal to
younger buyers.
The test car was in middle level K6+
spec plus #Dare. This adds items like 14”
alloy wheels, graphics and an infotainment
touchscreen system that folds out from the
system when the transmission is turned on.
Mahindra has also added a stop/start
function on this model which I couldn’t
disable quickly enough. Besides the fact that
I generally dislike stop/start with a manual

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