Mahindra Quanto

Mahindra and Mahindra who is known for manufacturing SUVs for the Indian car bazaar have turned its way a bit. Seeing the demand in the market, Mahindra is ready to tap into the small car market with the shorter version of its most prominent MPV, Mahindra Xylo. The new mini Xylo, codenamed ‘U203’ which was later on christened as Mahindra Quanto is Mahindra’s new armament against the B+ hatchback segment and entry level sedans. Mahindra Quanto also gets the honor of becoming the first ever sub-four-meter MPV in the country. The basic design of the car is pretty similar to Mahindra Xylo which the car is spawned on. The similar ladder-frame body frame is seen in Quanto as well. Under the bonnet, the compact SUV holds an altered version of diesel motor along with same suspension system and analogous interiors. The 1.5L diesel engine here is be coupled with five speed manual gearbox that would pushes the car in delivering an awesome performance on road.
The looks of the car are be as appealing as Mahindra Xylo MPV and gives the middle row passenger same happy legs feeling that Xylo offered. Mahindra Quanto borrowed the body-on-ladder chassis from its sibling Xylo and the chassis was compacted suitably to make it fit under the 4 meters in length, which makes the car take advantage of the excise duty subsidy Indian government has allotted to the sub-four meter vehicles. The wheels have also gone smaller to 15” from the 16” wheels seen in Mahindra Xylo MPV. The ride and handling of Mahindra Quanto is  enhanced and would give great acceleration and pickup. The interiors of the new Mahindra Quanto will be comfortable and loaded with numerous advanced features. The car would be able to adjust seven adults with utmost ease. The car might appear to be a bit cramped, but seven people will be happily adjusted into the car. The seats would be upholstered with high quality fabrics, while the power steering would make the driving absolutely easy for the driver. The power windows will also be present along with high performing air cooling system with AC vents that are well-spread . With such competitive price range and appealing looks, the car certainly has a big competition that it is going to face in the Indian car bazaar.  The major challenger of Mahindra Quanto will turn out to be Maruti Ertiga, which has been roaring with success these days.

Mahindra Quanto Models

Mahindra Quanto Diesel Models

• Mahindra Quanto C2
  This is the base variant of the newly launched Mahindra Quanto. The car has 1.5 litre of diesel engine is capable of producing high 100bhp of power output with 240Nm of maximum torque. The engine here has been coupled with five speed manual transmission that helps the car to give out a decent 17kmpl of mileage. Being the base variant, the car doesn’t sport features like ABS, climate control and airbags, but it does has basic features as power steering and air conditioning. The price of the Mahindra Quanto C2 is the least in the entire Quanto range.
• Mahindra Quanto C4
  This is the second variant of the car and has the similar engine specifications, which means under the bonnet you will find the same 1.5 litre of diesel engine producing 100BHP of power and 240Nm of torque. The mileage delivered by the car is inspiring and the five speed manual transmission pushes the model to deliver a very good performance on road. On the inside, the interiors of the car are a bit more advanced as compared to the base variant of Quanto. The Mahindra Quanto C4 comes with air conditioning system, power windows, power steering and remote fuel lid opener. The price here is higher than that of base variant of Quanto.
• Mahindra Quanto C6
  This is the second highest variant in the Mahindra Quanto range. Under the bonnet, 1.5L of diesel engine is giving duty that is capable of churning out peak power and torque of 100bhp and 240Nm respectively. Coupling the engine with five speed manual transmission with the engine was a smart decision for the firm. This combination pushes the car to give out a good mileage of 17.21kmpl and performs amazingly on road. The interiors here are advanced than the above two variants. The main interior features of Mahindra Quanto C6 comprise of air conditioning system with climate control, power steering wheel for smooth handling, power windows for the front and rear passengers, remote fuel lid and boot opener, and more.
• Mahindra Quanto C8
  This is the top end variant of Mahindra Quanto and is loaded with copious amount of features. Being the top end variant, you will find numerous comfort features including air conditioning system with heater with climate control, power steering with power windows, CD player for entertainment, alloy wheels for bump-free ride, and the list goes on. Here you would also find some advanced safety features such as anti lock braking system, dual airbags for the driver and front co-passenger, remote central locking system, fog lamps and park assist. As Mahindra Quanto C8 is the top-trim, the price tag here goes up a notch.

  Mahindra Quanto Mileage

  

  Editor's take : The new three –cylinder engine on the Quanto has good fuel efficiency.
  It is very important for any car to deliver high mileage. Every manufacturer in India very well knows that India is a mileage driven country, therefore one has to be sure that their cars manage to deliver a decent mileage. The Mahindra Quanto, which is a shortened version of Mahindra popular MPV, Xylo is blessed with 1.5L twin turbo-charged CRDi diesel mill known as mCR100 which is able to produce about 100bhp of peak power along with 240Nm of torque. The engine comes coupled with a five speed manual transmission that would assist the car in delivering 17.21kmpl of whooping fuel economy that makes the car low-maintenance and gives this compact SUV a value for money quotient.
  

  Power of Mahindra Quanto

  

  
  
  Mahindra Quanto appears to be an impressive vehicle. Mahindra was infact very hush hush about this vehicle before the vehicle was launched in the market the world was just speculating about its specifications. Mahindra Quanto is bestowed with a toned down version of mHawk diesel engine which is comparatively lighter in weight and manages to churn out decent power of 100bhp power and 240 Nm of torque . The five speed manual transmission united with this engine delivers good performance on road.
  
  

  Acceleration & Pick-Up

  

  
  
  Coming to the acceleration and pickup, who doesn’t what their car to talk to the wind? Everyone wishes that their car has the highest speed and zoom away with high speed when on road . However, Mahindra Quanto, which is a smaller version of Mahindra Xylo MPV, lacks when we talk about its sprint capability as it takes about 17.41 seconds to reach 100kmph speed from a standstill . The reason whu Mahindra quanto takes a lot of time to reach the 100kmph speed can be sited with the kerb weight of the car which is about 1640kg which seriously weighs it down. The new Mahindra Quanto comes with rear wheel drive, therefore, when accelerated, the engine will produce power and send it to the rear wheels that would let the mini MPV to zoom away with good speed and touch the100kmph mark in few seconds . Overall, the acceleration and pickup of Mahindra Quanto is likely to be notable and smooth.
  

  Mahindra Quanto Exteriors

  

  Quanto which was earlier known to the world as Mini Xylo as the name suggests is the compact verison of Mahindra India’s MPV Xylo. Mahindra Quanto is designed and developed on the Mahindra India’s sturdy , tried and tested as well as highly successful Ingenio platform which it shares with Xylo MPV. The Quanto is spawned on the body -on-ladder chassis that the Indian auto major reduced to fit the bill and get this utility vehicle under sub-four metre vehicle zone. Getting the vehicle under 4 meters has helped Mahindra to get the excise duty benefits which has helped the company to price it pretty competitively to take a dig at the diesel hatchback buyers as well as entry level sedan consumers.
  Now since this compact SUV is built on Xylo’s platform, no doubt it will make you remember its inspirer and to be true the front fascia is just a pinch different from the facelift version of Xylo, one can say that things have just been refined to appeal to the potential consumers. One look won’t be enough to realize the difference, only when you dig deeper you get to notice that the ‘V’ bonnet has been retouched and there is a new lip that has been added above the toothy smiley grille. The front fascia has been turned modish with trendy fog lamps and sporty roof rails. Although the wheel size has been decreased from 16” to 15” in Quanto, the car still sits tall and gets a bit inelegant, seems like Mahindra was looking for comfort than design and appeal. The Quanto gets all new D pillars, wrapped around tail lamps and the there is spare wheel that is surmounted on the tail gate at the rear end which fulfills the mini-SUV philosophy. Moving towards the rear end the similarities between Xylo and Quanto are numerous, just the tail of the compact SUV is different where the Xylo’s large rear windows and bumper has been replaced with the quarter glass and the overhanged spare wheel tyre.
  

  Mahindra Quanto Engine and Performance

  

  The engine of Mahindra Quanto is one of the most interesting engine of today’s time. The sub 1.5L diesel engine is not a newfangled engine in Mahindra’s engine line-up rather it is the toned down version of the 2.2L mhawk diesel engine. The mini Xylo will be blessed with a new diesel engine made with aluminum. Apparently, this engine has be made BS V ready and would be BS VI complaint with just few alterations. The engine uses double-overhead camshaft setup along with a common rail developed by Bosch.The new engine here weighs about 65kgs less as compared to the MDiCRDe motor and produces peak power of100bhp at the rate of 3750rpm along with 240Nmof maximum torque at the rate of 1600-2800rpm.

  Stereo & Accessories in Mahindra Quanto

  

  
  
  The infotainment department of the freshly launched Mahindra Quanto is decent enough to satisfy the needs of its buyers. The car is fitted with a single CD player with USB interface and AM/FM radio. The speakers accompanied with the music system . Overall, the Mahindra Quanto would turn out to be an ideal mini SUV for you and your family.
  
  

  Braking & Handling

  

  
  
  The braking and handling of Mahindra Quanto is impressive. The braking system comprises of dynamic and responsive brakes along with advanced features like anti lock braking system (ABS). This will prevent the wheels from locking up in case immediate brakes are applied and avert the vehicle from skidding. The handling of the car is supported by a good suspension system along with electrically assisted power steering wheel.

  
  

  Handling & Safety

  
  
  When it comes to safety, Mahindra and Mahindra has made sure that the new Mahindra Quanto is sprinkled with numerous high class safety features. Just like Mahindra Xylo, the Quanto is adorned with active and passive safeguards. The car features Anti-lock braking system and dual front airbags. The airbags for the driver and front co-passenger saves them from extreme harm in case of collision or accident. to add on to the safety department of Mahindra Quanto, the mini MPV is blessed with front fog lamps as well. This enables the driver to get a better view of the road in bad weather conditions. Also, the small compact SUV comes with engine immobilizer that safeguards the car from any harm . The crumple zones would also be present to shelter the passengers in case of accident. The other miscellaneous safety features of Mahindra Quanto comprise of front headrest, three rear headrest and seat belts for all passengers.
  Going with the current trend of Mini-SUV and many manufacturers are running pillar to post to get their car models in the firing range, the latest entrant being the Mahindra Quanto.  The biggest reason for manufacturers aiming for such vehicles is the tax exemption of around 12% on Excise duty on a sub 4 meter vehicle. Mahindra took nearly two years in developing the Xylo based Mini Xylo or baby Xylo that it finally christened as the Quanto. We get behind steering wheel of the Mahindra Quanto to find out the facts of this latest entrant in the hot Mini SUV segment.
  
  
  

  Exteriors

  
  The Mahindra Quanto is based on the Xylo and nothing can stop you from comparing the two. The Mahindra Quanto looks like a shrunk down version of the Mahindra Xylo. The front profile of the Mahindra Quanto resembles the max of the Mahindra Xylo with the short slopping bonnet and the V styled crease on it.
  
  
  
  The Mahindra Quanto gets a smaller grille with six vertical and three horizontal slats in glossy black finish. A body coloured mock section is placed above the grille. The head lamps on the Mahindra Quanto are identical to the ones on the Mahindra Xylo in shape but are a size smaller, to go with the dimension of the Mini SUV. The front bumper on the Mahindra Quanto gets air black dams on the lower section along with angular shaped fog lamps in black surrounds.
  
  
  The side profile of the Mahindra Quanto too resembles the Mahindra Xylo but in a shortened form. The fenders are cut short to house the 15inch tyres. The doors are smaller than the Mahindra Xylo’s but large enough for passenger’s to hop in easily.
  
  A black coloured metal step-board/running board also helps while entering or exiting the Mahindra Quanto. The tyre specs for the Mahindra Quanto tubeless Bridgestone 205/65R 15 mounted on a five spoke alloys. The alloys do lend a very sporty and smart look to the side profile of the Mahindra Quanto.
  
  
  On the top end C8 variant of the Mahindra Quanto you also get a body colored door protector which flaunts chrome in the middle making it look as if the chrome strip has a body colored outline. The glass area on the side windows is large and the door pillars have the blacked out effect on them. Wing mirrors are in body coloured housing and are pretty large in size. The third glass or the quarter glass is the smallest in size and can be opened with the butterfly style for ventilation when needed.
  
  
  The C pillar gets a neat glossy black finish along with the 3D styled combination tail lamps that bulge out of the pillar. The door handles are also in body colour. The roof of the Quanto gets black coloured roof rails along with the centrally mounted radio antenna.
  
  
  The rear profile on the Mahindra Quanto is distinct and does not resemble the Mahindra Xylo in any form. The Mahindra Quanto gets a neat design rear windshield that goes well with the 3D styled tail lamps. The biggest attraction on the rear profile of the Mahindra Quanto is the stylishly designed spare wheel that’s mounted on the tail gate. The semi-nude styled spare wheel cover is in black and silver finish, the wheel is visible to an extent along with a large Mahindra logo in chrome placed on it.
  
  
  The door style tail gate also gets a black metal step-up that makes access and exit easy. The rear bumper gets an angular design on the sides and smooth curves on the lower section. The rear bumper also houses reverse lamps and reverse park sensors on the top end Quanto C8.
  
  
  The top end Mahindra Quanto C8 also gets a rear defogger along with rear wash-wipe as standard fitment. The short overhangs and the placement of the rear wheel at the extreme end of the Quanto makes the vehicle look very compact when viewed from the sides but this spare wheel mounted on the tail and the roof rails makes it appear longer and taller than actually it is.  
  
  
  The fit and finish on the Mahindra Quanto exteriors is good and so is the paint quality. There is no cost cutting and panel gaps that are evident on the exteriors and over all it looks like a mighty good job done by Mahindra. 
  
  Interiors As we mentioned, the entry into the Mahindra Quanto is easy thanks to the step board that it comes with. The cabin space is noticeably large. The dash board is in grey plastic material and the quality feels the same as that on the New Mahindra Xylo. You get height adjustable four spoke steering in dual tone finish.
  
  
  The steering reminds you of the one present in the Mahindra Scorpio. The instrument cluster gets white backlight with red needles that glow when the lights are switched on. The instrument cluster on the Mahindra Quanto is identical to the one on the New Mahindra Xylo with RPM meter on the left, speedometer calibrated to 180kmph in the middle and the temperature and fuel gauge on the right hand side on the cluster
  
  When you turn on the ignition, all the four needles on the cluster swing to the max calibration and then swing back, sort of a sporty self-check. 
  
  
  You have the electric mirror setting control; fuel lid open button and the headlight beam height adjust setting control on the right side of the instrument cluster. The centre dash houses the Digital Drive Assist System (DDAS) display on the top that shows all the needed information of the vehicle including the outside temperature, Distance to empty, Mileage, Speed etc. This display has a soft orange back light to it. The centre AC vents have an into the face design similar to the one on the Mahindra Xylo.
  
  
  The Auto Start-Stop feature is also been carried from the New Xylo. This feature cuts off the engine when you come to a standstill and re-starts the engine when you tap the clutch and is genuinely handy for saving precious fuel. The control button to activate and deactivate this feature is placed between the middle AC vents just under the hazard switch. Below the vents is the MP3 Single CD-Radio unit that also has an USB port on it.
  
  
  This is the same unit that also does duty on the New Mahindra Xylo.  You have a single zone AC unit under the MP3 system. The AC blower has four speed setting and also a Hi or Lo AC control button. The corner AC vents are round in shape with chrome surrounds on them.
  
  
  The gear stick gets a bit of silver insert on it along with the mock carbon insert that’s seen on the dash, centre dash and door panels. Twin cup holders are neatly placed next to the gear shifter. A fairly large storage compartment with closable lid is just behind the hand brake.
  
  
  The inside door handles are round in design and get the chrome treatment on them. The glove box opens softly and is internally lit. Manual Day-Night centre rear view mirror is standard on the Mahindra Quanto. The seats get fabric upholstery in grey and zigzag print design. 
  
  
  The driver’s seat is manually adjustable for height and reach along with the incline of the back rest. The front seats get height adjustable head rest along with foldable arm rest. The front row seats are well designed and the leg room and head room is more than enough. The comfort level is pretty good on the front seats. You also get height adjustable front seat belts. The middle row seats get two height adjustable head rests. We missed a 40-60 split folding seat option on the Mahindra Quanto.
  
  
  The seating on the middle row is good, loads of leg room and head room is available and the outside view from the seats is excellent, thanks to the large glass area. The Xylo trademark folding trays are also carried on to the Quanto but in a slightly smaller form.
  
  
  You also get Jump Seats in the third row which can be folded back when not needed and the space used as boot. Seating on these jump seats is advisable for people not taller than 5’6 in height and for short drives only. You get reading and cabin lights for the front seats and the middle row seats too with charging points in all the three row of seats which is a neat touch.
  
  
  The build quality on the inside and materials used in the cabin of the Quanto is good, there’s not much cost cutting that’s evident. Fit and finish is fairly good and the comfort level is the best on the first two rows of seats. 
  
  

  Engine – Drive – Suspension

  How good does the Mahindra Quanto really drive, let’s tell you all and more. The Mahindra Quanto is powered by the mCR100 CRDI engine that is 1493cc in capacity. This is the downsized version of the 2.2 litre M-Hawk engine that powers the New Mahindra Xylo but with one cylinder chopped off. The 1.5 litre CRDI engine has 100bhp of power @ 3750rpm and has 24Nm of torque between the 1600 and 2800rpm. The Mahindra Quanto comes with a 5 speed 5MT320 gearbox. 
  
  
  Do not be disheartened on hearing that the Quanto is powered by a 3 cylinder engine because on ignition the 3 cylinder engine is silent and revs very much like the New Mahindra Xylo’s engine. On the move the mCR100 engine feels and drives just like a 4 cylinder engine and only below the 1600rpm some amount of turbo lag is experienced. Once the turbo kicks in, the Quanto feels very much like the Xylo and has good amount of power under its belt. The power delivery is well creased out and very linear, very much like any other 4 cylinder diesel engines.
  
  
  The gear ratios are tuned for more in city usage and the shift quality is slick. The clutch is light and that aids in heavy traffic driving conditions. The steering feedback is heavy but with a tight 5.4 meter turn radius the Quanto feels nimble to handle in traffic and congested roads.  The suspension set up on the Quanto is same on the front and rear with a combination of double wishbones and a five link setup doing their duty very well.
  
  
  The Mahindra Quanto glides over rough roads and bad patches with real ease. The overall weight of the Mahindra Quanto is 1640kgs that is a pro and a con, while it helps in making the mini SUV sturdy and ever planted but at the same time it also makes the pick-up slow. Speed of 100kmph needs more than 17.50 seconds. The body roll is felt most on the third row while the short dimensions of the Quanto does help in its taut handling.   
  
  

  Verdict

  
  
  The Mahindra Quanto may look like its elder brother, the Xylo but that could also be turned into its USP. The cabin on the Quanto boasts of acres of space combined with high quality of ride and comforts for a vehicle this size. The jump seats however are a little point of concern with tight space. The package is bettered with the 3 cylinder mCR100 engine that is adequately powered to chug the Quanto around and with great ease.
  
  The fuel efficiency figures of 17.21kmpl (ARAI) on the Mahindra Quanto is also one of the major plus points. The Mahindra Quanto is aggressively priced starting at Rs. 5.82 lakh for the base C2 variant while the top of the line fully loaded Quanto C8 comes in at Rs. 7.36 lakh, ex Thane, making it a very wise choice as compared to some of the entry level sedans that are currently available in the market.