It’s easy to dismiss the Mahindra NuvoSport as a facelift – especially when the car it replaces seemed pretty pointless all through its existence. You’d probably remember the Quanto only if you’re a die-hard Mahindra fan.
If not,
you’d be excused for forgetting it altogether – erased from memory, because it was so overbearingly unimaginative. The chopped
Xylo theme didn’t quite ‘cut it’.
Mahindra was on to something though – much like how Tata Indigo kickstarted a whole genre of sub-4 metre cars, the Quanto, in essence played on the same theme for SUVs. It’s been a while since then and now the Indian market is flooded with such SUVs and is it really a surprise that Mahindra has three offerings in the space?
The Looks
If you’re someone who doesn’t believe in second chances, the Mahindra NuvoSport should make you a convert. Second chances only work if you fix the shortcomings in the first and for that to happen you need to first acknowledge that there is indeed something wrong that can be fixed.
One thing that wasn’t a problem was the whole 7-seater angle – that bit was quite innovative if you ask me. Stick two jump seats in the back and you avail all the benefits of a people carrier.
The importance of a good design cannot be stressed enough, but the metamorphosis of the Quanto into the NuvoSport is a shining example of how effective it can be. Despite having the same overall shape and proportions as the Quanto, the NuvoSport comes out as a completely different animal.
A sub-4 metre SUV can be nothing but a lifestyle choice – for someone to buy it, the vehicle has got to give out the ‘I want’ vibe, which the Quanto for various reasons, simply didn’t achieve.
The best part about this whole exercise is that the NuvoSport is still so very recognisable in design to the Quanto, yet it is so very different. The rather homely, soft face has been replaced by one that is mean – in a good way.
It’s inside the cabin that owners will get the biggest amount of that Quanto vibe and here’s where we feel it should have been different. Those interiors don’t quite keep up with all the aggression on the outside – though the touchscreen entertainment system has been integrated rather well in that dash.
There are just too many curves all over to be anywhere close to complementing the NuvoSport’s design theme. There is a whole lot of space for the rear bench passengers though and the seamless transition from the Quanto to the NuvoSport in that sense is rather appreciated.
The Drive
The first time we saw the car testing, it was going rather fast through an almost 90-degree, curving left hander and it looked super-stable from where we were standing. Once behind the wheel, and two 700km roadtrips through the Western Ghats later, we’re left with both positives and negatives.
While the car is a delight to haul on the highway, there is a bit of body roll through the twisties and coupled with the high centre of gravity and truck-tall seating position, it takes some courage to really heave it around bends at high speeds.
The suspension, as expected, soaks up every bit of rough road it encounters but anything less than a full load on board and the inner-rear wheel will break traction in tight corners. Wide smiles generally follow that sort of thing when you love driving.
Our Verdict
It’s an interesting car, the NuvoSport – it takes the sub-4 metre loophole and offers a rather desirable package. Buying one (Rs 7.4-9.9 lakh, ex-showroom – Delhi) will never be a totally practical decision – there’s the TUV300 for that.
Those who choose the NuvoSport will do so because it blends in with their personality and appeals to their sense of adventure and style. This vehicle is no longer a hatchback on stilts – it’s an SUV with rear wheel drive and loads of attitude.
(Muntaser Mirkar is one of India’s renowned automotive journalists and the Co-Founder of MotorScribes. He can be reached on Twitter: @BullSpeech)
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