Mahindra’s very ambitious launch of this year, The Quanto is a rage all over the internet. Spy shots, Scoops and speculations on this compact SUV are a daily affair on many auto portals. The utility vehicle maker will be finally unveiling the Compact Quanto on 20th September 2012 and hope it gives some rest to the gossip mongers.
Since I stay in Nasik, catching the Mahindra Quanto testing is a regular sight for me. Seems the Quanto drivers have been instructed not to take a stop in city and treat the curious auto journos with any sort of exclusive images, as they have been zipping fast on the streets trying to avoid the hunting lenses.
Finally, some days back, we got hold on one Mahindra Quanto which was on its way to the dealer from the storage yard.
Mahindra Quanto Exteriors
Why make something from scratch, when you can use the existing is the mantra which Mahindra used for the Quanto. The idea was a sub 4 metre compact SUV that could take on the hatches and the sedans in the price range of Rs.5 lakhs to Rs.6 lakhs.
The Mahindra Xylo which recently got a facelift is the main contributor of the Mahindra Quanto. Borrowing the front fascia of the Mahindra Xylo, it does not look that compact and nimble as the Premier Rio. Instead it looks like a robust SUV. The radiator grille is the same family design which is now on all Mahindra SUVs.
The Mahindra Quanto boasts of a body on ladder frame chassis. It appears longish from side profile as the wheels take the extreme corners of the length. The Mahindra Quanto would be scoring over the small hatches which have cramped legroom as the length and wheelbase appears longer than the competition. Also, the B, C and D pillars have been camouflaged in black to maintain a uniform roofline with black roof rails. The Quanto C6 variant also has a side step for the easy entry of the passengers in the cabin.
Tail lamps arrangements are neat and are affixed on the D pillar just after the rear quarter panel. The 6 spoke spare tyre is attached to the tail gate on an asymmetric position. The top end variant also gets a spare tyre cover. Lines on the tail gate have been kept very simple and the rear bumper has reflectors and reverse light housed on it.
Mahindra Quanto Interiors
The interiors of the Mahindra Quanto have been retained from the Xylo SUV which is a positive. The driving position is taller compared to other small cars. Front row gets 2 bucket seats while the rear has the bench setup. Legroom and headroom for the front passengers is superb as it is a tall SUV. The rear legroom is also decent.
Dashboard design, interior trims and the materials used are the same as of Mahindra Xylo. Door handles are circular with a dash of chrome on it. There is a map reading lamp for the front row passengers and not for the rear. Glove box has a light embedded in it. Similar twin-in row cup holders beside the gear stick. All four doors have speakers attached to them at the bottom and also seen inside the Mahindra Quanto is the roof mounted glares holder.
The Mahindra Quanto is essentially a 5 seater compact SUV. However Mahindra have squeezed in 2 more seats at the last row. These seats are the fold-down face to face types. But then seating two normal sized people on these seats would be difficult.
Mahindra Quanto Drive.
The Mahindra Quanto is equipped with a 3 cylinder 1.5L diesel engine. The power and torque statistics are not available as of now. It boasts of features like rear park assist and Auto Start Stop, which kills the ignition when not needed. It is the same micro hybrid technology. I got a chance to drive the Mahindra Quanto after literally begging and nagging the driver to which he finally agreed for an extremely short drive.
Another compact SUV, the Renault Duster also has the 1.5 diesel engine. The one on the Quanto however felt more rugged and robust. It gave me the confidence of a proper big size SUV with a good ground clearance. Also, with a tall riding height and a short turning radius, the feedback that it offered was very positive. The 5 speed manual transmission felt the same as the Xylo. The only small let down was the Quanto does have little bit of body roll cause of its tall height. Since it was not a long drive and I was about to be pushed out from the running vehicle by the driver :) I could not experience the drive of Mahindra Quanto for a longer period.
With our short rendezvous with the compact Mahindra Quanto, we have realized that Mahindra with the Quanto (name derived from Quantum) has another winner under its stable. With a price range starting from Rs.5 lakhs, the Mahindra Quanto would set a new benchmark in compact SUVs. Perhaps the Mahindra Quanto too would also enjoy long waiting period status. The above report is based on our short experience with the vehicle. We would publish a detailed review once we get the Mahindra Quanto for a longer period.
Mahindra Quanto Review Video
