Mahindra TUV 300 Plus

Mahindra has plonked in the 2.2-litre mHawk engine that also does duty in the XUV500 and the Scorpio. However, it runs a lower state of tune at 120PS and 320Nm. The motor is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. There’s no automatic transmission on offer.

The Mahindra TUV300 Plus is an extended version of the sub-4 metre SUV. It’s 4400mm long, 1835mm wide and 1820mm tall. Compare that to the regular TUV300, and it’s 405mm longer and 3mm taller. The width and the 2680mm wheelbase remain identical. Save for the redesigned tail, the Plus looks very much like its boxy cousin. The design might not make you go wow, but it does look big and imposing.

The cabin of the TUV300 Plus borrows heavily from the standard TUV300. The layout of the dash is the same, and so is the feature list. This means you get a 7.0-inch touchscreen, manual air-conditioning, and steering-mounted audio controls in the top-spec P8 variant. There are quite a few misses, including basics such as third-row AC vents and a charging socket. The big draw for the Plus is its 9-seater configuration, which is a 2+3+4 layout.

The TUV300 Plus is available in three variants - P4, P6 and P8. We’d recommend you skip the P4 variant purely because it doesn’t come equipped with ABS or dual airbags. In fact, even the P6 variant is quite bare bones as it doesn’t offer features such as a music system, a rear defogger or rear wipers. If you need a no-nonsense, abuse-friendly car, you can pick the P6, but for everything else, the P8 will seem worth the added money.

None! Except for the ageing Mahindra Xylo that’s on its way out. In case you’re confused between the two, just pick the TUV300 Plus - it’s a more modern car that will be just as dependable.

The TUV300 Plus fits an extremely specific need. We’re sure rural markets and cab operators will lap this up by the dozen for the extra seats alone. If you need a tough SUV to transport the whole colony in one shot, ring Mahindra!