Exterior
On the looks
front, the KUV100 is a butch looking hatch, and with a wide wheelbase, it
provides immense space inside and stands on 12 spoke 14 inches spider alloy
wheels. The KUV100 has a sculpted bonnet like the XUV500 and a sculpted rear
too with smart roof rails. In fact, the design flow from near the C pillar to
the rear is bold and smart. The front and the rear of the vehicle carry bold
design elements and the wrap around headlamps in the front seem to taper off
all the way to the A pillar. The words “powered by mFalcon” are prominently
displayed on this side. The car comes with “follow me home” headlamps and “lead
me to vehicle” headlamps.
Compared to
crossovers in the hatch segment, like the Volkswagen Polo Crossover, the
Hyundai i20 Active, the Toyota Etios Cross and the Fiat Avventura, the KUV100
is definitely much more rugged and bolder in it is stance. Even though it does
not have major claddings on its sides, the SUV look is not diluted. Then there
are the pinched grille, the bulging wheel arches, the sloping roofline, the
rear door handles perched high almost in alignment with the C pillar, all of
which adds to the aesthetic appeal of the car. The prominent hood and high
beltline make the car look like a trendy urban crossover. The rear spoiler enhances the sporty look of the vehicle.
The KUV100 is
available in 7 colours of Fiery Orange, Flamboyant Red, Dazzling Silver,
Aquamarine, Pearl White, Designer Grey and Midnight Black.
Interior
All the
stretched wheel base and wide track of the vehicle have led to freeing up a lot
of space inside the car. To ensure a lot more space, the car comes with a
floating dashboard design in piano black finish which has a sculpted steering
with bolsters (adjustable for height but
is not telescopic) as well as a dash mounted gear lever and a hand
brake. The car comes in both a six-seat configuration as well as a five-seat
configuration. The company is offering the car with a bench seat in front as
well as an option of two separate seats in front. The bench seat can
accommodate three people in front and therefore has provision for three safety
belts. The seating position in the car is high, thereby giving it a SUV feel
once you are seated inside.
I feel that a
bench seat in front has its own set of advantages—more seating space, more
practicality when it comes to ingress and egress for those seated inside,
besides instilling a great element of romance! There is no better way of
cuddling up in front when you have a bench seat. The rear seats too are quite comfortable
because of the flat floor construction of the vehicle. In short it means that
the person seated in the middle at the rear can actually sit comfortable
because there is no hunch on the floor.
There is also an innovative storage space on the floor board wherein you
can stash some valuables if you want. The rear seats are foldable and therefore
frees up more boot space. Talking of boot space, there is enough space for
bottles and there is also a cooled glove box in the car.
The car has
mood lights inside that can be changed accordingly. It has a twin pod
instrument cluster and an infotainment system with a 3.5inches display screen
and four speakers. The system can be synchronised with the Mahindra exclusive
Blue Sense App which in turn offers a plethora of services.