IAB's close encounter with the Mahindra World SUV mule
Indian Autos Blog recently had a close encounter with the ubiquitous Mahindra World SUV test mule on the outskirts of Chennai. Thanks to the driver who had parked the car away from 'Idli' shop where he was having a sumptuous meal, we didn't miss the chance to take a few pictures and make a few observations.
1. The Mahindra World SUV (W201) is huge. It looks more like an MPV than a SUV. The front of the car seems to be too heavy and even the massive tires look puny on the car.The stance isn't as impressive (read aggressive) as a Scorpio: clear sign of Mahindra trying to become civilized. We expect this to be the best looking Mahindra (or rather the only good looking Mahindra after the Scorpio).
2. The interiors aren't as bad a Mahindra should be. The dashboard of the car looks refined and well made. Nothing looked like an after thought. Xylo's steering wheel looked out of place. The twin-pod instrument cluster looked good. A/C vents weren't as cruel as the 'fish-mouth' inspired vents in the Xylo.
3. The car was not running on the JK Tyre Elanzo 235/55R17 tires. The tires on the car had very small studs and these kind of tires increase grip and reduce the running noise. But these tires are not good for off-roading.
4. The second row seats seemed to be immensely spacious. But the contours of the seats on the test mule were bad. The head rests were miserable. The third row seats also seemed to have decent amount of legroom. In-fact the third row seat looked like they could properly seat three comfortably.
5. The twin rear exhausts have now been given a nice extended-oval shape and we guess Mahindra would blend the exhaust along with the bumper in the car (like in the BMW X6). That would be a nice touch.
6. The front grille of the car wouldn't be upright. It would slope to give the car's nose a flowing look. The headlamp cavity clearly gave a clue of what the headlamp would look like: big, with a razor sharp outline.
Click here for Indian Autos Blog's exclusive renderings of the Mahindra World SUV.