Mahindra TUV300 AMT accounts for almost 50% of TUV demand

The Mahindra TUV300 has picked up 12,000 bookings since its launch in September 2015, almost half of that demand is for the AMT equipped automatic model of the compact SUV

It has just been reported that Mahindra has gathered 12,000 bookings for its new compact SUV, the TUV300. And Dr. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director of Mahindra and Mahindra is reported to have said that almost 50 per cent of demand for the TUV300 is accounted for by the AMT equipped automatic TUV300. This is rather high considering the fact that the Indian car market has always been dominated by manual transmission equipped cars.

That said, the Mahindra TUV300, as mentioned earlier, is equipped with an automated manual transmission that is essentially the same gearbox as the manual gearbox of the TUV, apart from different mechanicals and electrics for the gearbox. As a result the price if the automatic TUV300 is not as high compared to the associated cost of a car with a traditional automatic gearbox. Both the manual and automatic TUV300s return an ARAI rated fuel efficiency figure of 18.49 km/l.

The price difference for the AMT variants of the TUV300 is Rs. 72,000 over that of its manual counterparts. Mahindra offers two variants of the automatic TUV300 in the higher up T6 Plus variant as well as on the top-end T8 variant.

Prices for the Mahindra TUV300 range between Rs. 6.98 lakh to Rs. 9.20 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The Mahindra TUV300 is powered by a 1.5 litre, three cylinder turbo diesel engine. The unit in the manual transmission equipped model develops 84bhp @ 3,750 rpm and 230Nm of torque @ 1,500 rpm. While the unit in the AMT model develops 81bhp @ 3,750 rpm and 230Nm of torque @ 1,500 rpm.

The Mahindra TUV300 is the only diesel compact SUV in India with the option of an automatic gearbox. And considering the demand for the automatic version, it can be said that the TUV300 has gathered the right kind of attention from buyers in the segment.

Also read: 2015 Mahindra TUV300 Review: First Drive