Just can’t wait any longer!

Pros : mini version, bigger engine. Fuel delivery

Cons : can’t say as of now

I am a big fan of Mahindra’s Sports Utility Vehicles since my college days, specially the mighty muscular Xylo. However, the high price tag of these SUV’s never let me be a proud owner of a utility vehicle from Mahindra’s India portfolio. But now, as the company is coming-up with an all new small multi utility vehicle – Mahindra Quanto – in the upcoming Diwali season in October 2012, the excitement to buy it is getting better of me.

As the length of the new Quanto will be less than 4 meters, it will be qualifying for a lesser duty segment of 11 percent, helping the firm in positioning this model more competitively in the Indian market. The speculations are that the firm will be pricing this vehicle in the range of Rs 5 to 6 lakh, which is very much into my budget.

The news reports are claiming that the new Mahindra Quanto will come powered with a 1.5 liter turbocharged CRDi engine, which will be based on the same proven 2.2 Liter M-Hawk CRDI diesel engine of Mahindra. If the reports are true, the Quanto will be a power packed vehicle with considerably higher fuel economy of 10 to 15 km per liter, good mileage figure for a utility vehicle. A five speed manual transmission would be a perfect match for this engine.

Now, as far as designing is concerned, I am expecting the new Quanto to carry an impression of its bigger sibling XUV 500, especially at the front profile. It will be a major thing to see what response the mini version of Xylo would be receiving from Indian buyers and will it be able to match the success of XUV 500 or not. Also, as the bigger Xylo is not that successful in India, will its mini version be able to do something miraculous for the firm in terms of sales figures.