Mahindra launches Quanto from INR 5.82 Lacs to 7.36 Lacs

After tasting huge success with its XUV 500 SUV, Mahindra today launched the Quanto in Mumbai with a price tag of INR 5.82 Lacs for the base C2 variant that goes up to INR 7.36 Lacs for the top-end C8 variant. As is quite evident from the pictures, the Quanto is nothing but the mini Xylo that we spotted testing long back. In fact, the Quanto was under testing for around a couple of years now. Mahindra has chosen to call the Quanto a compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), with its sub 4 meter length, tall proportions and a host of visual add-ons like the rear door-mounted spare tire and roof rails trying their best to make it look that way. For us and the informed public though, the Quanto is just a compact Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) developed for taking excise duty benefits and the strong Xylo roots and resemblance makes it all the more obvious.

The Xylo is not a good looking vehicle in the first place and so, we didn't expect the Quanto to be a looker. And we were proved right. It takes a little while to get over the odd proportions of the Quanto as it is tall and narrow but not so long. The frontal design is a straight lift from Genio, the pick-up truck based on the Xylo, while the profile is carried over from the Xylo. The similarity ends with the rear door though, after which the Quanto gets its own design touches. Though a few of them like the wrap-around taillights, neatly-styled spare wheel cover and blackened C-Pillar look good individually, the 'chopped off' effect is so evident at the rear.

The Quanto is powered by a new three-cylinder common rail diesel engine dubbed 'mCR100'. Just like the car itself, this power-train is a chopped off version of Mahindra's mHawk engine. With a displacement of 1493-cc, it churns out 98.6 bhp of power and 24.4 kgm of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The surprise element is the presence of a twin-stage turbocharger, making it possibly one of the smallest engines to employ that technology. More powerful variants and four wheel drive option could be launched later.

We may sound cliched, but the interiors are again, you guessed it right, straight from the Xylo. Four variants are available - C2, C4, C6 and C8. The C2 variant is quite spartan and comes with unpainted bumpers. C4 and C6 progressively adds features culminating in the top-end C8 variant, that comes loaded with a lot of features like Antilock Braking System (ABS), dual front airbags, Digital Drive Assist System (DDAS) which is nothing but a multi-information display in the center console, driver's seat height adjust, rear defogger, rear parking sensor and the other usual goodies like power steering, power windows and alloy wheels. Mahindra's 'Micro Hybrid' system is available on all but the base C2 variant.

With a very tight turning radius of 5.4 m, a high ground clearance of 180 mm and the flexibility to seat 7 passengers with the two jump seats at the rear, Mahindra Quanto tries to pick and combine the best attributes from hatchbacks, SUVs and MPVs. Will Mahindra succeed in this novel attempt? Let's wait and watch what the customers have to say.