Head out of Chennai on a working day and the chances of spotting an upcoming Mahindra vehicle on test are quite high. Last week, we caught the KUV1OO facelift and the all-new Innova-rivaling MPV while they were being tested in the outskirts of the city, not far from Mahindra's Research Valley. This time around, its the extended variant of the TUV3OO that was spotted testing in the automotive hub of Oragadam.
Rumored to be christened the TUV5OO, this is essentially the TUV3OO that's stretched from the rear to accommodate a full-fledged third row of seats. The vehicle being tested had a front-facing third row in which the head restraints were conspicuous by their absence. With that in place, the TUV5OO (or whatever Mahindra decides to call it) would be a proper 8-seater like the Xylo. Let's not forget the TUV3OO itself has a third row, albeit with side-facing jump seats that provide limited space, comfort and functionality.
Though it was completely camouflaged, that the test vehicle was based on the TUV3OO was quite obvious. The bold, upright fascia with the tall hood and the 5-slat grille is carried over from the smaller sibling. The shape of the headlights are the same too though the test mule appears to be wearing a pair of LED Daytime Running Lights that are not currently available in the TUV3OO. The profile remains unchanged up until the B-pillar after which the added length makes its presence felt. The additional few centimeters seem to have all been added after the rear wheels which means the wheelbase could be the same as the smaller TUV3OO. That explains why the test vehicle's rear end looks a bit bulky with unusually long rear overhangs. The D-pillar's rake angle is slightly more than the TUV3OO but the rest of the derriere appears to be carried over as well. In one of these spy shots, you can clearly see the glowing taillights that look very similar to the ones in the TUV3OO.
The interiors, in all likelihood, would be the same as the TUV3OO. That isn't a bad thing at all, given the TUV3OO's interior fit, finish and aesthetics are amongst the better ones from Mahindra. A few features might be added to the kit to justify the increased price tag that this bigger sibling is likely to carry.
Extensive test runs indicate something new is brewing under the hood of this extended TUV3OO. Is it a more powerful tune of the TUV3OO's mHawk 100 3-cylinder mill? Or is Mahindra planning to shoehorn the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine from the same mHawk family that currently does duty in the Scorpio? The latter would be a good fit considering this vehicle is likely to be used for lugging seven people and their luggage occasionally, if not often. Whatever it is, we will never know until the specifications are released by the folks at Mahindra.
When this stretched TUV3OO goes on sale, expect Mahindra to slot it above the standard sub-4 meter TUV3OO and below the Scorpio in its lineup. For reference, the former starts at ₹7.58 Lakhs while the Scorpio's base variant retails at ₹9.58 Lakhs, both ex-showroom Delhi.
While it does seem now as if Mahindra is crowding its lineup with too many models at similar prices, it would make sense in the end if the overall sales go up. And that's probably what Mahindra would be hoping for.
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