The front suspension of the TUV 300 is a double wishbone affair while at the rear there’s a rigid axle multi-link suspension. Add to this Mahindra’s Cushion Suspension tech and what you get is a vehicle with excellent ride quality. There’s virtually nothing that filters in through to the cabin and therefore the passengers. You sit cosseted inside the high cabin and glide over all the irregularities of the road beneath. Unfortunately, the handling isn’t as sublime. In spite of Mahindra’s efforts to increase the rigidity of the TUV 300’s ladder frame chassis, there’s quite a bit of body-roll. It does hold its line on sweepers at late double-digit speeds and very early triple-digit velocities but show the TUV 300 a set of switchbacks and you’ll find the going less than confidence-inspiring. It’s not scary but it doesn’t give you the confidence to push harder.
Hit the brakes as hard as you can and you’ll realise (pleasantly so) that the old Mahindra trait of the rear wanting to get ahead of the front doesn’t exist in the TUV 300. It does take a bit of time but the TUV 300 comes to a halt without too much fuss. The fact that it has ABS only helps. At the end of a couple of days of driving around in Mahindra’s new TUV 300 here are my three observations. First, the TUV 300 is well-built and finished. It’s certainly the best finished Mahindra I have seen. Second, it’s spacious and practical. Lastly, it offers excellent ride comfort. The biggest chink in the TUV 300’s armour is the powertrain, which, though adequate for the city, does not feel equal to the task on highways. On the whole, I think Mahindra have a decent product that should do well, even though there continue to be a few sharp edges that need to be rounded off. Personally, however, I wouldn’t mind a more powerful engine, slightly better set of brakes and a bit more of confidence on the handling front.
