Mahindra TUV300 vs Ford Ecosport

Mahindra launched their latest compact SUV yesterday, christened the TUV300 (Three Double O). A sub-four metre SUV, the TUV300 makes quite an impact on all those who were present at the launch in Chakan. Driving in at a price of INR 7.5 Lakhs (on-road, Pune), the TUV300 will do battle against Ford’s EcoSport in the compact SUV segment. But how does the newest incumbent match up against the established competition? Does the tough, true-blue compact SUV have what it takes to succeed in a highly demanding market? To answer these, let’s take a closer look at the two SUV’s.

To start with, the exterior styling on the TUV300 has all the right cues that have come to mark the SUV segment. Butch, chunky lines dominate the design on Mahindra’s compact SUV. At the front, the high bonnet line, large headlamps and signature grille give the car an imposing look, that’s going to be well appreciated by the target market. The bold, muscular look continues over to the wheel arches and onto the rear, where the spare has been mounted on the tail-gate. The battle-tank inspiration that Mahindra had spoken about in the run-up to the TUV300 launch is very much visible in the silhouette.

The EcoSport on the other hand may sport similar styling cues, but it is much softer in terms of the design language. While the TUV300 is all chunky, the EcoSport features rounded edges and a few flowing lines. In terms of absolute dimensions, the TUV300 may be 5mm shorter over the EcoSport but that’s a negligible difference. What’s noticeable though, is that the TUV300 is taller by over 131mm at 1839mm, over the EcoSport (1708mm). The wheelbase too is longer in the TUV300 at 2680mm versus 2520mm in the EcoSport. Thus, when it comes to the macho-looks, there’s no confusion here on who the winner is. Mahindra’s latest compact-SUV definitely has the road presence over the EcoSport.

The TUV300 continues to extend its advantage over the competition by virtue of its ability to seat seven passengers. Its direct competition – the EcoSport is a five-seater and so are SUV’s in the segment or two above it. So impressive is the cabin space that the first two rows of seating offer ample comfort to passengers. The last row will see passengers rubbing knees together and are best used for short runs. The fact remains though, that the TUV300 does in-fact offer seven seats for passengers, which is a segment first (an accomplishment which is helped by the 38 litre advantage with the bootspace over the EcoSport). The TUV300 also happens to be over 70mm wider (1835mm vs 1765mm) than the EcoSport, which explains the considerably greater room than the competition.

On the engine front, both, the EcoSport as well as the TUV300 sport 1.5-Litre diesel engines under the hood. But the similarities end with the engine capacity. The TUV300 loses out on a cylinder versus the EcoSport but gets dual-stage turbo charging instead. As a result, the EcoSport may be more powerful in terms of engine specs, but the TUV300 does know a thing or two about drivability. What’s more, the TUV300 also happens to be the only sub-four metre SUV to get an AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) as an option. The EcoSport on the other hand makes do with a five-speed manual tranny. The TUV300’s 1.5-Litre motor is also torquier than the EcoSport.

Mahindra have gone all out in their attempt to reduce the environmental impact of their true-blue SUV. They have equipped the TUV300 with micro-hybrid, start-stop technology and even added brake-energy regeneration.  On the safety front, Mahindra have given the TUV300 dual airbags and ABS with EBD on the higher trim levels, (Airbags are optional on the lower versions), while the EcoSport follows a similar approach but ups it a bit, by offering curtain airbags on the top two versions.

Spec-for-spec, the TUV300 outguns the EcoSport on paper and our pick is the Ford Ecosport, if you want something for urban use. Ford Ecosport has a strong character and we love it. Our recommendation is the Ford Ecosport.