Mahindra Quanto review, test drive

Mahindra brings hatch benefits to a compact SUV, but does it work? Read our comprehensive review.

Published on Nov 21, 2012 07:11:00 PM

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The Quanto isn’t a scaled down Xylo, but essentially the same MPV with its tail chopped off. The result is awkward proportions, accentuated by the tall, 1.9-metre height and the short four-metre length. M&M has carried over as much from the Xylo as possible and hence the Quanto’s front has the same ‘raised-eyebrow’ headlights and a similar bumper. A new lip above the toothy front grille, as well as a more defined ‘V’ on the bonnet lends differentiation.

The front and rear doors are also carried over from the Xylo and hence the similarity extends right up to the C pillars. However, M&M has given the Quanto some distinct SUV design cues, like blackened D pillars, roof rails, footboards and the spare wheel mounted on the tailgate (it gets an anti-theft lock too). Crucially, the spare wheel’s dimensions are not counted when measuring the length of a car.

The Quanto and Xylo share the same 2760mm wheelbase, which suggests there is no compromise on space for the first two rows. The Quanto also uses 15-inch wheels, but the narrower and lower-profile tyres (65 profile versus the Xylo’s 75) further enhance the car’s top-heavy stance. The Quanto is 535mm shorter than the Xylo and a big advantage of shedding so much metal is that it weighs a considerable 190kg less. However, at 1640kg, it is still unduly heavy for such a compact vehicle.