The KUV100 is the latest model to join in the alpha numeric series of cars from the house of Mahindra and Mahindra. It joins the likes of the XUV500 and TUV300. The Mahindra KUV100 is one ‘kompact’ and ‘kool’ car and thus has been named “Kool Utility Vehicle”. It has got a vivacious design with new looks starting right from the chassis up to its engine.

The KUV100 appears much bolder and more imposing than its competitors in the hatchback category. It has an SUV like bonnet with swept back head lights which are fitted with tiny LEDs. KUV 100 is compact and has a height of 1,655mm, is 1,715mm in width with a ground clearance of 170 mm which is fantastic. The cabin is quite spacious and offers ample storage space and an amazing boot space of 243 litres.

Car enthusiasts and experts who harbour puritan views do not agree to call the KUV a SUV – they feel that it is a mutant variety at best, though market realities may differ. Mahindra’s newest car comes with their smallest diesel engine and a petrol engine for the very first time. Imposing looks, decent interiors and features, great fuel economy and superb pricing have made the KUV a very attractive package for consumers. SUVs are gaining increasing popularity as the vehicle of choice for more people and are now being offered in various shapes and sizes.

This sub 4 metre ultra-compact car has been offered by Mahindra to not only fulfil the desire to form a new segment in SUVs, but also to take on the hatch back segment, which records high selling volumes too. With the KUV 100, Mahindra’s has gone back to the earlier curvy design to allure the primary target section for the KUV – the urban youth. The nearest competitors for the KUV 100 should be hot selling cars like the Maruti Swift and Hyundai Grand i10, and the new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. Apart from its compact dimensions, the KUV 100 looks quirky. It comes with a design that is more likely to grow on us with time, and in all possibilities people will either hate it or love it. The best way to view this car is from the front three quarters. Its SUV like appearance gives way to the conventional hatchback like look at the rear.

The KUV 100 has the quirky looks, loads of features, impressive mileage, good price, good performance along with a SUV-ish feel which is desirable for many consumers and has therefore experienced fantastic response from the car buyers, clocking an average monthly volume of 3,500 units with a waiting period of about four months.