Mahindra launches Verito 'Vibe' hatchback

Long after Renault decided to give up and abandon its Logan project in India, Mahindra just refuses to give up on the Romania-based, Dacia-developed car. After sprucing it up inside and out and renaming it as Verito, Mahindra has now gone one step ahead, derived a hatchback out of the boxy sedan and launched it as the ‘Vibe’. Launched in Mumbai today in three trim levels, the Verito Vibe will classify for the Indian Government’s tax exemptions as its length is less than 4 meters. Prices start at INR 5.63 Lakhs for the base D2 variant and goes up to INR 5.89 Lakhs and INR 6.49 Lakhs for the D4 and D6 variants respectively.

Though the Verito Vibe looks like a hatchback, it isn’t one, strictly speaking. Retaining everything up to the C-Pillar and even the rear windscreen from its sedan counterpart, the Vibe has a new, strangely-designed boot-lid and all-new taillight clusters that bear more than a passing resemblance to the previous-generation Ford Focus. Though the Verito Vibe does look sporty from certain rear angles, the boxy front-end carried over from the Verito sedan doesn’t gel as well with the sharp rear-end as we would have liked. Also new are the smoked headlamps, carbon-finish grille, champagne alloy wheels and a dual-tone rear bumper.

The interiors stay true to the Verito sedan as well and that means the Vibe would be one of the most spacious hatchbacks on sale in India. Apart from the regular features like air-conditioning, power steering, power windows and a 2-DIN music system with CD, USB and AUX support, the top-end Verito Vibe also comes with front disc brakes, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Driver Airbag. Powering the Verito Vibe is the familiar 1.5-liter Renault dCi engine that puts out a modest 65 PS of maximum power at 4000 rpm and 160 Nm of peak torque at 2000 rpm. No 1.2-liter petrol engines in Mahindra's portfolio to qualify for tax exemption means that there is no petrol-powered Vibe that you could buy.

The Verito Vibe marks Mahindra's entry into the highly-competitive hatchback segment in India. It remains to be seen if Mahindra's Midas touch continue to welcome them with both hands in a segment that is dominated by Maruti-Suzuki and Hyundai.