Reference Auto

So, Mahindra and Mahindra is now playing the price game in the SUV market with the launch of mini-SUV Quanto for below Rs 6 lakh (price starts at Rs 5.82 lakh).

The Quanto, which has its high-end model priced at Rs 7.36 lakh, has been developed on the Ingenio platform, similar to the Xylo. The Quanto mini-SUV comes in four trims, C2, C4, C6 and C8, the last one being the top variant.

The mini-SUV is propelled by a modified version of the mHawk diesel engine termed mCR100. The 1,493 cc engine belts out 98.6 bhp and 240 NM torque and these have been attached to a five-speed gearbox.

According to Mahindra, a more powerful four-cylinder engine version is on the anvil, which is likely to be offered with a 4x4 option.

The 100 bhp engine along with the 240 NM torque will make the Quanto’s performance impressive.

With hike in diesel prices, Mahindra has lots in store on the mileage front. Mahindra’s Micro Hybrid Technology allows it to offer a fuel economy of 17.2 km to a litre on the Quanto.

The top C8 version comes with alloy wheels, power windows, a slim Digital Drive Assist System (DDAS), driver seat height adjust, electric wing mirrors and an audio system with CD, MP3 and radio along with body-coloured bumpers.

There is also a rear defogger, ABS, front airbags (for the driver as well as the passenger), reverse parking sensor and fog lamps.

The C6 trim is nearly the same except for the alloy wheels, the reverse parking sensor as well as airbags. Mahindra’s Micro Hybrid technology will be offered on all variants except the basic C2 trim.

The Quanto sub-four metre size makes it one of the smallest SUVs in the market. A new category of compact SUV, the Quanto is the only vehicle with a 5+2 seating capacity.

“The Quanto, which is our first compact SUV, will create a new category within the SUV segment,” president of automotive and farm equipment divisions of Mahindra Pawan Goenka said.

Mahindra has a capacity to make 7,000 vehicles at its Nashik unit, which will manufacture the Xylo as well as the Quanto. The Quanto will vie against Renault’s new SUV, the Duster, but the Quanto will come with a big plus, which is price advantage.

Mahindra hopes to sell 200 Quantos every month (quite a conservative target, though). But these are estimates for the initial months and sales could go up manifold in a year, considering that the company sells around 2,500 Xylos every month.

Mahindra will begin exporting the Quanto to countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka along with South Africa in the next three to four months. Later, the company plans to target European countries along with South America.

By creating a mini-SUV segment and by playing the price game, Mahindra can hope to jack up sales target to at least 1,000 cars a month for the Quanto in the next quarter (against the target of only 200 units).