Mahindra Verito Vibe

Mahindra Verito Vibe, the highly awaited compact model of Verito, is expected to arrive in the Indian auto industry by September 2012. Presently, Mahindra & Mahindra is the dominant car maker in Utility Vehicle (UV) segment of the country and will focus on capturing the market share in the hatchback segment with this model. Till now M&M has not introduced any model in this segment and, thus, the launch of Verito hatch will help it expand its roots in other segments.

Mahindra Verito Vibe will be built over the same platform of Verito sedan and, hence, its design language will be similar to that of the sedan. This platform sharing is an effort towards bringing down its production cost by presenting a familiar vehicle in a new avatar. Development of the Verito Vibe is currently in progress and the final version of the model is expected to be less than 4 metre in length.

Mahindra Verito Vibe will probably be produced at the manufacturer's Nasik manufacturing facility, where it also develops its Verito sedan. Speculation is rife that the car will be launched in diesel as well as petrol versions, though no details of the petrol engine to be used in the model have come to light till now. It must be noted that Mahindra holds expertise in offering performance oriented diesel engines in the country. This will surely help the company carve a niche for its new hatchback among those who prefer diesel cars.

With the launch of Verito Vibe in Indian market, the company will target Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20 and Nissan Micra, which are the bestsellers in the Indian market. It is anticipated that the car will be placed in a price bracket of Rs. 4.5 and 5.5 lacs. With its competitive pricing, the company believes that it will deliver 3000 units of Verito hatch every month in the country.

Engine & Specifications of Mahindra Verito Vibe

Mahindra Verito Vibe is expected to be powered by robust engines that will set benchmarks in its segment. Its diesel version will hold a 1.5 litre dCi engine which will have displacement of 1461 cc and will generate maximum power of 65 bhp at 4000 rpm at 140 Nm of peak torque. Though there are rumours of a petrol Verito hatchback, it seems quite unlikely that the company will use the 1.4 litre motor that is used in the sedan. If it does so, it will lose out on the tax benefits provided by the government to cars that measure less than 4 metre and have a 1.2 litre engine. Moreover, there has been no news that the company is developing or procuring an engine of this capacity in the country.

Performance of Mahindra Verito Vibe

Mahindra Verito Vibe will set the bar higher for world class handling, brilliant fuel economy and competitive pricing. The diesel engine to be incorporated in the new Verito is performance oriented and, therefore, will deliver decent acceleration with tremendous speed. If the company maintains the configuration of the unit, it will be able to reach top speed of 144 kmph and accelerate from naught to 100 kmph in a matter of 18.4 seconds, just like the sedan version.

Exterior, Interior & Safety Features of Mahindra Verito Vibe

Mahindra Verito Vibe is considered as a new avatar of the current Verito. The platform on which Verito is produced has been in operation for around five years, thus the auto maker decided to introduce a revamped version of Verito. The yet-to-be-launched hatchback will boast of moderate changes in exteriors as well as a few technological advancements. It is said that the car maker will simply slice off the boot of current Verito and offer it as a hatchback.

Mahindra Verito Vibe is expected to have the similar interiors as well as exteriors to that the existing Verito, but there has been no confirmation in this regard from the company's side. It is anticipated that the model will be equipped with advanced safety features like Antilock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), driver-side airbags, remote door locking, central locking and rear defogger. These will help it keep the passengers safe and help the vehicle survive collisions easily.

Competitors of Mahindra Verito Vibe

Mahindra Verito hatch will deliver stiff competition to Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20 and Nissan Micra, which are all considered dominant models in the premium hatchback segment. All these models have grabbed a decent share in the market and have captured the imagination of the buyers and auto enthusiasts believe that Verito hatch will follow the same story of success.

Mahindra Verito hatchback’s main competitor will be Maruti Suzuki Swift, which is also offered in petrol and diesel variants. The petrol version of Swift holds a K-Series engine which has VVT technology and a displacement of 1197 cc. Maximum power produced by the engine of Swift stands at 85 bhp at 6000 rpm, whereas its torque peaks at 114 Nm at 4000 rpm. Coming to the diesel version of Swift, the car is assimilated with a DDiS CRDI engine which has a displacement of 1248 cc. The maximum power produced by the engine of Swift diesel is 72 bhp at 400 rpm, whereas its peak torque stands at 190 Nm at 2000 rpm. These figures indicate that the output of Swift diesel is far better than Verito Hatchback’s.

Mahindra Verito hatchback’s next competitor is Hyundai i20, which has received a number of awards and titles for its safety and security advancements. The car boasts of features like central locking in all doors, smart pedal (petrol version only), impact sensing auto door unlock and lane change indicator, which remain unmatched in this segment. Besides, advanced features like electronic day/night inside rear view mirror, keyless entry, burglar alarm and rear defogger with timer are also offered by the company. The safety features packed within Hyundai i20 are unmatched and are hardly seen in any of the same segment cars. Mahindra Verito Vibe may also have some of the advanced vehicle and passenger safety features that will help it gain the faith of potential buyers.

Mahindra Verito Vibe will also contend against Nissan Micra in the Indian auto industry for market share. Nissan has introduced the petrol and diesel versions of Micra which are both mated to the same five speed manual transmission system. The DOHC 12 valve in-line petrol engine of Micra has a displacement of 1198 cc. As far as the outputs of Micra are concerned, it generates peak power of 74 bhp at 6000 rpm, with maximum torque of 104 Nm at 4000 rpm. On the other hand, the diesel version of Micra holds a SOHC 8 valve in-line engine which has a displacement of 1461 cc. The highest power produced by this engine stands at 62 bhp at 4000 rpm, whereas its peak torque ranges to 160 Nm at 2000 rpm. Diesel engine output of Verito hatch is better than the output of Micra, which will probably make it a better option in the market.