The new Mahindra TUV300 Plus is available only in the P4 variant and is mainly aimed at fleet car owners. Though Mahindra have not revealed the price and specs officially, details are freely available through company dealerships. The nine-seater version is based on the existing TUV300 platform and, in time, will replace the ageing but still on sale Mahindra Xylo.
The width and wheelbase of the standard TUV300 and the new ‘Plus’ are identical at 1,835 mm and 2,680 mm respectively. The TUV300 Plus is overall longer by 401 mm and gets a redesign rear end. Other visual changes on the new variant include a larger 16-inch wheels, as compared to the 15-inch wheels of the TUV300. Apart from the standard seating arrangement for five, TUV300 Plus gets additional seats behind the second row which can accommodate another four people.
The TUV300 Plus borrows the powertrain from the Xylo, and is equipped with a 2.2-litre mHawk120 engine. The diesel mill continues to produces 120 PS and 280 Nm of peak torque, but here it gets a new six-speed gearbox instead of the five-speed transmission seen on the Xylo. The standard TUV300 comes with a smaller and less powerful 1.5-litre mHawk100 diesel engine. The TUV300 Plus is also equipped with a micro-hybrid technology featuring regenerative braking and auto start/stop function, which promises to improve fuel economy.
For now the Mahindra TUV300 Plus is only available in the P4 variant with bare-bone feature like a basic air-conditioning system, power windows, tilt-adjust steering wheel, and electronically adjustable outside rear-view-mirror. The safety equipment isn’t generous either as it comes without ABS or even dual front airbags. This has probably been done to keep the price attractive for the fleet owners.
At Rs Rs 9.57 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune), the TUV300 Plus is close to Rs 70,000 more than the basic D2 MAXX variant of the Xylo, about Rs 7,000 cheaper than the similarly spec-ed Xylo H4 variant, and about Rs 30,000 more expensive than the TUV300.
