By MABUYANE KEKANA
For many years, Mahindra have been flying under the radar watching and observing the South African market. They have been here but in a strange way kept their distance from the rest of the country but only visible in certain sectors and communities. If you really wanted to see Mahindra cars, you would have had to be in the agricultural space/farming communities not leaving behind the construction industry. But things have been changing in recent years, thanks to the introduction of passenger cars such the XUV500, TUV and of course the KUV100. We have seen more and more families buying into the Mahindra brand. South Africans take their time before they place their hard earned money on newer, less established brands but they sometimes surprise you and buy into these less known brands.
The rising costs of living and cars are forcing consumers to look elsewhere. Hence we have seen the emergence of the underdog such Mahindra and Haval. I attended the launch of the new Mahindra XUV500 and the facelift KUV100 NTX. Mahindra have never apologised for wanting to be different, in fact, they have claimed their place under the sun for being different. Though the XUV500 does not possess that typical Mahindra ruggedness, it still carries the brand’s uniqueness. First launched in South Africa in 2012, the XUV500 has improved in design in both the exterior and interior. Though I kind of like the exterior design, I think there is still room for improvement on the interior design and use of materials, plastic use can often turn what could potentially be a beautiful interior into an unattractive space. Driven by the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine producing 103kW of power and 330Nm of torque.
All versions of the new XUV500 feature two airbags, while the W8 and W10 offers seat and curtain airbags for a total of six airbags. All models also have ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution on all four disc brakes, additional side-impact beams and crumple zones for crash protection.
On the W6 models and above, Mahindra has also added Hill Hold and Hill Descent Control and electronic stability programme (ESP) with rollover mitigation
However, the overall feel of the car meets acceptable levels.
The KUV100 on the other hand is fighting a good fight, daring to be different. The Indian manufacturer has completely went off script to create a small rugged car (or should I say SUV). The only other manufacturer to have flirted with a similar design. Not a bad little car for what it is. The 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine screams when pushed. But for what it is
Model range and Pricing:
XUV500 W4 6-spd manual: R299 999
XUV500 W6 6-spd automatic: R359 999
XUV500 W8 6-spd manual: R374 999
XUV500 W8 6-spd automatic: R403 999
XUV500 W10 6-spd automatic: R419 999
KUV NXT K2+ Petrol: R134 999
KUV NXT K4+ Petrol: R163 999
KUV NXT K6+ Petrol: R187 999
KUV NXT K6+ Diesel: R204 999
KUV NXT K8 Petrol: R199 999
KUV NXT K8 Diesel: R219 999
