The compact SUV segment is hotting up and overall, in the passenger vehicle space, the share of UVs has grown from 15 percent in FY 2012 to 22 percent now.
Rather than having one major player in the segment, Mahindra seems to be attacking the segment with two or three (if you count the KUV100) different takes on the compact SUV.
The KUV100 is actually more like a hatchback that's injected with an SUV dose for light off- roading and the image, of course. The TUV300 is an SUV that’s leaning towards the tough and rugged, while the NuvoSport sits above the TUV300 and is positioned as the sportier one and aimed at the urban market.
According to the carmaker, an investment of Rs 115 crore was made to develop the NuvoSport in "less than two years". The company has built capacity to produce 18,000 NuvoSports a year at its Nashik plant; that is 1,500 units a month.
As for the other compact SUVs from Mahindra, the TUV300 has recorded sales of 20,000 units since its launch in September 2016. The KUV100, launched in mid-January 2016, got off to a decent start with 35,000 bookings.
The NuvoSport replaces Mahindra’s first compact SUV, the Quanto which was launched in September 2012. It is a majorly refreshed version of the Quanto featuring a new chassis, a new front-end styling, an updated engine and new features. The new model comes with six variants, priced in the range of Rs 7.35 lakh to Rs 9.76 lakh (ex-showroom, Thane).