Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) Limited, the country's leading Utility Vehicle (UV) maker, is all geared up to launch its smallest product 'Quanto', for the domestic market. The compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Mahindra Quanto is set to scorch the Indian streets from September 20, 2012 and is anticipated to carry a price tag starting from Rs. 5 lacs.
Buoyed by the astounding response to its premium SUV XUV500, M&M knows best to keep its customers engaged with excitement and its upcoming Quanto has done well in generating a fervid hype and buzz in the Indian market. The company has stated that the Quanto SUV will lure away the buyers from premium hatchbacks and entry-level sedans and considering the humble pricing, the car is watched closely by the Indian car aficionados.
The soon-to-be launched Mahindra Quanto falls in the sub 4-metre length and 1,500 engine displacement segment, making it the company's smallest vehicle in its Indian portfolio. The small size combined with a solid build of SUV, the Quanto will enable its driver to breeze through the hostile city traffic and conquer any off-road terrain with equal ease.
Reportedly, the latest car from the Indian UV maker holds a 3 cylinder 1.5 litre diesel powertrain mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, under its hood. Among other interesting attributes, the rear park assist feature and Auto Start Stop technology that kills the ignition when not required, will help the car in setting a benchmark for the compact SUV segment in the country. From the initial spy shots, the interiors looked spacious and refined, while it's tall boy design ensures ample headroom and legroom for five adults including the driver and passengers. Interestingly, M&M has crammed in two more fold-down seats in the third row that will take the car's seating capacity to seven people. However, from the comfortability point of view, the third row seats looked more like for children, instead of adults.
The Quanto's aggressive pricing has made it the company's most ambitious offering in the Indian car market and the upcoming car is believed to take head on the likes of its domestic counterparts like Renault Duster and Premier Rio, upon its launch. Currently, the undisputed champion of compact SUV segment in the country is Renault Duster, of which the French auto maker registered more than 15,000 bookings in two months. Another product available in the market is Premier Rio, which party due to its sub-standard quality and lack of service centres, failed to capture the imagination of domestic car enthusiasts.
Mahindra Quanto is expected to storm through the compact SUV market and considering the Indian UV maker's impressive repertoire, all the other players are keeping fingers crossed with the launch of most anticipated car of the year.
