2016 Auto Expo: Mahindra to showcase facelifted Quanto with AMT

The Mahindra Quanto may not have set the sales charts on fire, but it nevertheless remains one of the best people movers that one can buy in the country today. With its no-nonsense attitude and capacity to lug around seven passengers with ease, the Quanto is an MUV that was purpose-built for the unforgiving Indian conditions.

Now, in an effort to shore up sales, Mahindra will be releasing the facelifted version of the Quanto at the 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi this February. As spy shots of the prototype has confirmed, the new Quanto is receiving a massive cosmetic overhaul, giving it more of an SUV-like look than before.  Borrowing styling cues from the current Scorpio, the new Quanto also cuts down on corners, adopting more straight lines and bold angles to accentuate its masculine appeal. The grille is believed to be different, as are the headlights, taillights and the plastic cladding on the tailgate, although the basic silhouette remains the same.

Motive power remains the same: a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that makes 100PS of peak power and 240Nm of peak torque. But it is the new automatic manual transmission (AMT) option that is the highlight of the facelifted Quanto. To be christened the Mahindra Quanto ‘Auto Shift’, the gearbox is expected to be the same Magneti Marelli unit that also does duty in the likes of the Maruti Celerio and Tata Zest. Following the Quanto, smaller cars from Mahindra like the Verito and Verito Vibe are also expected to come with an automatic AMT gearbox in the near future.