Mahindra Verito Vibe launched

Mahindra launched the Verito Vibe today. Contrary to popular belief that the Verito Vibe will be just another sub-4 metre vehicle with a punched boot, Mahindra has gone ahead and made it into a hatchback.

In fact, it was Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra and Mahindra, who made it quite clear that Mahindra was the first amongst other car makers to think the other way and make a sedan into a hatchback. For some, he might have been overselling his product, but the idea behind going the other way round works in Mahindras favour.

The Verito Vibe is based on the Verito sedan and looks exactly the same (but for the boot). Mahindra has managed to chop of the boot and leave the interior space untouched. The result; class leading sedan-like comfort inside a hatchback. Even the boot space stands at a good 330 litres second only to the Honda Amaze which boasts of a boot space of 400 litres.

Powered by Renault’s renowned 1.5 litre dCi diesel engine the Verito Vibe will deliver a mileage of 20.8 km/l(ARAI certified). The Verito Vibe also comes fitted with a Driver Information System, which gives customers real time updates on mileage, temperature, distance to empty and more.

This isn't Mahindra's first foray into the sub-4 metre category. The Quanto (compact SUV) was its first venture. However, Mahindra still maintains that it is more of a utility vehicle maker than a passenger car one. When asked about this Pawan Goenka, President – Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd stated, "We have a platform and we have an idea. The only thing we have done here is made the Verito Vibe more accessible and nothing more than that. We have made it sporty and exciting but the passenger vehicle segment is not what we are concentrating on."

We also asked if the Verito Vibe will eat into the sales of the Verito sedan, and Vivek Nayer  replied saying, "We are asked this question at every press conference and I must say it is a relevant one. The Verito Vibe is a new car and so the expectations are high but people wanting to buy a sedan will buy one and those in need of a spacious hatchback will do so. Mahindra offers their customers a choice and it's up to them to pick and choose."

The Verito Vibe comes equipped with safety features like ABS with EBD, Driver Air Bag, Engine Immobilizer, Side Impact Beams and Adjustable Head Rests for all seats. The vehicle has been designed with first-in-class LED light streaming tail lamps on the C-pillar.

The Mahindra Verito Vibe will be available in three variants - D2, D4 and D6 (D6 being the top-of-the-line). The D2 is priced at 5.63 lakhs, D4 - 5.89 lakhs and the D6 at 6.49 lakhs (all prices ex-showroom Mumbai)