With its tall stance but very small footprint, the Mahindra KUV100 NXT offers city-bound drivers the best feature of an SUV (an elevated seating position) with the best features of a city car (easy parking and low fuel consumption). It’s a weird little thing to behold, but there are nonetheless a number of features that makes it stand out from the competition.

It's easy to forget that the micro-SUV genre is comparatively new, even though cars of this ilk have quickly become mainstay performers among budget-conscious brands. The Mahindra KUV100 was one of the first of this kind of car to arrive on local shores in 2016, and, after an early facelift (bringing a range expansion, spec upgrade, and the "NXT" sticker at the end of its name) late in 2018, it’s been raking in steady sales among value-minded buyers.

In fact, until the Suzuki S-Presso arrived midway through 2020, the KUV100 Nxt wore the crown as South Africa’s cheapest new passenger car for a while. To be fair, it’s only in bare-bones "K2" trim that the KUV100 Nxt is so inexpensive, but even the mid-level "K6+" derivatives cost less than R 200 000 new (with a petrol engine), and they’re pretty well-equipped for the money, with remote central locking, power windows all round, a 3.5-inch infotainment screen, and electric rear-view mirror adjustment as standard.

Splashing out on a "K8" variant will send the price rocketing along with the feature count, mind you. A petrol K8 will set you back R 224 999, and opting for the torquier and more frugal diesel engine ups the pricetag to R 254 999. In compensation, K8 trim gains a 7-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, rear parking sensors, a cooled glovebox, automatic climate control, and 15-inch alloy wheels. In contrast, the low-spec K2 has air-con, power steering, ABS, two airbags, and... that’s about it.

Most cars in this class are fairly inexpensive to run, but the KUV100 Nxt has topped the AA Kinsey Report for the lowest maintenance part prices in its class (Compact Crossovers) in 2019 and 2020. Its parts prices are competitive with (and only slightly dearer than) pure city cars like the Renault Kwid and Datsun Go, which, combined with a 3 year/100 000 km warranty and 3 year/50 000 km service plan (standard on all KUV100s except the K2), should result in very affordable running costs.

An elevated seating position and a deep glass area combine to give the KUV100 an airy cabin ambience and excellent sightlines – perfect for placing this small vehicle’s extremes in confined spaces. It’s also a low-effort kind of car, with light controls, an easy-to-reach and slick-shifting gear lever, and logical (if unusual) ergonomics.

Combine this with a fairly wide torque spread from both petrol- and diesel engines, light and progressive clutch pedal take-up, and ample power assistance for the brakes and steering wheel, and you end up with a car that’s really no trouble to drive at all. Its easy controls also make a Mahindra KUV100 NXT perfect for novice SUV drivers, who will find benefit in its nimble handling and tight turning circle as well.

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Original article source: https://www.autotrader.co.za/