The Mahindra KUV100 is the smallest vehicle by Mahindra in the passenger car space. The KUV100 is termed as a micro SUV. The Mahindra KUV100 starts a new segment, but is priced similar to the Hyundai Grand i10 and the Maruti Swift. How does it fare against the two biggies? Is it good value? We take a look at them in our Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 comparison.

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Design

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 rear

The styling of all three differ while look at the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 comparison. While the Swift is more on the sporty side, the KUV100 have a mix of trendy styling and SUV stance. The Grand i10 is more of the subtle out of the three. This looks premium and has a better appeal too. The Grand i10 looks more practical, while the Swift has a swanky styling. The KUV100 looks more appealing and a design that is inclined towards the youth. It is unlike anything seen on the roads.  There is an interesting difference in the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 design.

Also Read: 2017 Maruti Swift 

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Interiors

You will see that the interiors of all three are contemporary in the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 comparison.

KUV100 Interior

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

K stands for Kool in KUV100 and Mahindra has designed the interiors ergonomically. The black and grey instrument panel is a welcome change as most of the cars today have black and beige, which suits mature car buyers. The gear knob on the centre console looks a bit odd, but is a very good placement to save out on space. The three-knobs control the air-con vents, while the handbrake is old-fashioned. This has helped to save out on space and Mahindra has done a good job by adding the third extra seat. Now, lets be honest, safety is a priority for us too, but once in a while you do require six people to be taken and that is when this comes handy. The other downside of the KUV100 is the music system, which needs to have better quality speakers to enhance the current output.

Mahindra KUV100 interior

Hyundai Grand i10 Interior

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

The Grand i10 on the other hand does feel premium with the black and beige interiors along with the top notch plastics and a sophisticated instrument panel. The styling is basic and easy on your eyes. Hyundai is clearly targeting the mature audience with this hatchback. The three-spoke steering wheel comes with audio controls for music system and calling too. The Grand i10’s styling is much different from most of the competition. The round air-con vents are a refresh when it comes to the styling. The piano black finish on the gear box and the cool blue backlit interiors are soothing and aren’t harsh at night. Hyundai gets full points for the instrument panel design.

Hyundai Grand i10 interior

Swift Interior

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

The all-black interiors of the Swift remain our favourite. This premium hatchback is one of the highest selling vehicles and there is no rocket science to understand that. The look and feel of Swift’s cabin isn’t as good as the Grand i10, but it feels a tad better than the KUV100. The centre console looks a bit too cluttered and even the instrument cluster numbers aren’t as easy to read as the Grand i10. The Swift facelift got some additional features and that is when it got the telephone buttons on the steering wheel as an add-on. The orange lit interiors are the good too. The Swift’s ambience feels youthful and meets the needs of what a Grand i10 or even a KUV100 will need.

Maruti Swift interior

Winner: In interiors of Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10, the Grand i10 is the pick. In terms of interior quality look and feel, the Grand i10 excels ahead of the competition. This makes it an ideal pick for us.

Features Mahindra KUV100 Maruti Swift Hyundai Grand i10
All power windows K4 onwards V onwards Magna onwards
In-built music system K6 onwards V onwards Sportz onwards
Bluetooth Connectivity K6 onwards Top model (Z) Sportz onwards
Dual Airbags Optional from base variant (K2) Optional from base variant Optional on top model Asta
ABS Standard Optional from base variant Optional on top model Asta
Alloy Wheels Top model – K8 Top model (Z) Top Model Asta
Bigger Tyres Same across all variants Top model (Z) Same across all variants
Cooled Glovebox K6 onwards None Sportz onwards
Rear wiper K6 onwards Top model (Z) Top Model Asta
Rear defogger K6 onwards Top model (Z) Sportz onwards
Front fog lamps K8 only V onwards Magna onwards

Also read: Maruti Ignis coming soon

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Practicality

Practicality is one important aspect when we are comparing the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10.

Mahindra KUV100

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

Mahindra KUV100 front three seats

There is an arm rest for the second row of KUV100. This adds to the comfort level
There is an arm rest for the second row of KUV100. This adds to the comfort level

First to begin with, all the four door pockets have one litre bottle holding capacity.

1-litre bottle fits in the rear door of KUV100
1-litre bottle fits in the rear door of KUV100
Mahindra KUV100 12V socket in boot
12V socket and light for the boot on the KUV100
The boot access to the KUV100 is poor
The boot access to the KUV100 is poor
Rear seats flip down, but they aren't flat
Rear seats flip down, but they aren’t flat

One clear advantage of the KUV100 is that the front and rear doors open a bit wider and the tall stance makes it easier for ingress and egress.

The tall stance and wide opening door adds to convenience
The tall stance and wide opening door adds to convenience

Hyundai Grand i10

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

Hyundai Grand i10 rear space
The Grand i10’s rear seat has good recline, decent side support and ever rear AC vent
Grand i10's boot has decent space and is easier to load and remove luggage
Grand i10’s boot has decent space and is easier to load and remove luggage
The boot of the Grand i10 with the rear seats folded down
The boot of the Grand i10 with the rear seats folded down
Hyundai Grand i10 storage space
Sufficient space to keep your smartphone and coins etc
1 litre bottle fits in with ease in front and rear door pockets
1 litre bottle fits in with ease in front and rear door pockets

 

Maruti Swift

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

Maruti Swift rear seat space copy
The back rest of the Swift is almost upright
1-litre bottle doesn't fit into Swift's rear door pocket
1-litre bottle doesn’t fit into Swift’s rear door pocket
At about 200 litres, Swift's boot is the smallest and has high loading lip too
At about 200 litres, Swift’s boot is the smallest and has high loading lip too
Maruti Swift rear seat split
Swift’s 60:40 rear seat fold adds to the convenience

Winner: In practicality between Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10, the Grand i10 wins with the KUV100 finishing very close to it. In terms of space for passengers, stowage spaces and other practicality, it is the Hyundai that is the better pick.

Also Read: New Hyundai Santro 2018

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Performance

Talking about the performance of Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10, these cars are quite different from each other.

KUV100 Engine

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

All three cars come in pe

trol as well as diesel engine options and are quite distinct in the way they perform. KUV100’s petrol engine has more vibration than the diesel engine, which is very surprising. The power of the KUV100 is just fine but the drivability in city needs some amount of gear shifting.  NVH levels have been very well controlled. The drivability is great and is helped by the shorter gear ratios. In-gear acceleration is amongst the best in-class. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The gearshifts are pretty smooth and the positioning of the lever on the dashboard centre console is quite convenient while shifting and feels much better compared to other Mahindra vehicles.

Mahindra KUV10014

Grand i10 engine

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

The petrol engine has similar power output like the Swift, but one needs to work a bit harder to extract some good performance from this engine.In terms of outright power the Grand i10 is the least powerful of three but doesn’t feel underpowered. The power delivery is linear and unlike the Swift doesn’t give a sudden rush of torque. However, the Grand i10 has quite pronounced vibrations especially at idle and the three-cylinder characteristics are evident. Its the high revs where it is not comfortable and gives a feeling of stalling and promoting an upshift.

Hyundai Grand i10 engine

Swift engine

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

The best petrol engine of the lot on the Swift, it has good power and drivability is certainly the best of all. This engine doesn’t feel out of steam in the city or even on the highway. Most of the power comes in at higher rpm, but even the low and mid-range there is sufficient pull. When it comes to diesel, the Swift has the largest diesel engine. It is tuned to offer sprightly acceleration and that is evident the moment its turbocharger kicks in at 1800rpm. There is a sudden surge of power and catapults the car in a sporty fashion.

Maruti Swift engine

In the engine of the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10, the Swift comes out on top, overall.

DIESEL
Specifications Maruti Swift  Hyundai Grand i10 Mahindra KUV 100
Engine DDis Diesel,CRDI 1.1 U2 CRDi mFalcon D75
Displacement (cc) 1248 1120 1198
No. of Cylinders 4 3 3
Fuel Efficiency (ARAI) 25.2 km/l 24 km/l 25.32 km/l
Power (bhp@rpm) 74@4000 70@4000 77@3750
Torque (Nm@rpm) 190@2000 160@1500 190@1750
No of gears 5 Gears 5 Gears 5 Gears
Transmission Type Manual Manual Manual
PETROL
Specifications Maruti Swift  Hyundai Grand i10 Manual / Auto Mahindra KUV 100
Engine Type K Series with VVT, Multipoint injection 1.2 Kappa Dual VTVT mFalcon G80
Displacement (cc) 1197 cc 1197 cc 1197 cc
No. of Cylinders 4 4, Inline 3, Inline
Fuel Efficiency (ARAI) 20.4 km/l 18.9 km/l / 16.95 km/l 18.15 km/l
Power (bhp@rpm) 83@6000 81@6000 / 79@6000 82bhp@5500
Torque (Nm@rpm) 115@4000 114@4000 / 112@4000 115@3500
No of gears 5 Gears 5 Gears / 4 Gears 5 Gears
Transmission Type Manual Manual / Automatic Manual

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Mileage

In the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 mileage competition, all the three vehicles have good fuel efficiency in diesel and it is very difficult to say a clear winner here. All have an efficiency of about 15km/l in the city, while on the open road the number goes up to 20km/l.

The petrol engines vary in efficiency. We haven’t done a lot of running in the KUV100 petrol but of the three, the Swift’s 1.2-litre petrol is the most efficient at 12-13km/l in the city, while on the highway it is about 16km/l with ease.

Also Read: Honda City facelift coming to India

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Ride

Lets come to the ride and handling part of the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 comparison.

Mahindra KUV100

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

Mahindra’s KUV100 is made on a monocoque chassis like the other two and the ride on this micro SUV is much better than most of its siblings. The ride on smooth roads is good even at high speeds. The KUV100 feels confident and planted always even at high speeds. This is a comfortable vehicle to cruise in.  The handling of the KUV100 is good for its size.

Mahindra KUV100 sidemotion

Hyundai Grand i10

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

The Hyundai Grand i10 has a supple ride quality and is one of the best . This Korean hatchback feels a bit unsettled on bad roads, but this is a very minute issue as we are just trying to pin point minor issues with the Grand i10. In terms of handling, the Grand i10 has some body roll when you change directions rapidly. The Grand i10’s steering wheel is much better than the previously sold Hyundais.

Hyundai Grand i10 side motion

Maruti Swift

(Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10)

The Maruti Suzuki Swift has stiff ride when compared to the lot. It doesn’t feel bumpy or unsettled on bad roads that easily but some of the road shocks do get filtered into the cabin on bad roads when compared to the other two. In driving dynamics, the Swift leads the pack with the agile handling characteristics.

Maruti Swift side motion

Winner: When it comes to Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 ride and dynamics, Maruti Suzuki Swift is our clear pick in this department.

Also Read: Tata Tiago Price and Review

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Verdict

The Swift is stylish with detailed instrument panel, decent space, powerful and frugal engines and is the most fun to drive. The Grand i10 on the other hand is the most spacious and feels premium of the lot. The KUV100 is an interesting package to consider and this will make several young car buyers to pick this micro SUV. In the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10, when we consider, the value for money aspect the Grand i10 wins it hands down.

Hyundai Grand i10 is the most feature-loaded hatchback, most spacious and has good options in petrol and diesel engines. The top model of the Grand i10 is the most affordable one too. The best value for money product is the Hyundai Grand i10, in the Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 comparison. However, it doesn’t yet offer dual airbags and ABS as a standard or even optional across all variants. Only if Hyundai offered these even as optional, it would have been a great package to consider. The best variant to buy in petrol or diesel is the Sportz.

Model Price (on-road, Mumbai)
Maruti Suzuki Swift LXi INR 5.53 lakhs
Maruti Suzuki Swift LDi INR 7.03 lakhs
Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi INR 7.40 lakhs
Maruti Suzuki Swift ZDi INR 8.71 lakhs
Hyundai Grand i10 1.2 Era INR 5.64 lakhs
Hyundai Grand i10 1.1 Era INR 6.76 lakhs
Hyundai Grand i10 1.2 Asta (O) INR 7.03 lakhs
Hyundai Grand i10 1.1 Asta (O) INR 8.18 lakhs
Mahindra KUV100 K2 Petrol INR 5.29 lakhs
Mahindra KUV100 K2 Diesel INR 6.35 lakhs
Mahindra KUV100 K8 Petrol INR 7.12 lakhs
Mahindra KUV100 K8 Diesel INR 8.21 lakhs

If you like our story and our efforts, do share it with your friends on social media to help them decide which vehicle to buy. We will be coming up with more such detailed comparisons.

Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10: which one will you book for yourself?

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)Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10

)Mahindra KUV100 vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10

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