M&M eyes big sales, to soon start exports of KUV100

KUV100 is the first offering from M&M to sport a petrol engine, mFalcon G80; it also comes with diesel engine, mFalcon D75

Utility vehicles market leader Mahindra and Mahindra Limited ((M&M) is planning to export KUV100, a new sports utility vehicle from its stable, to neighbouring countries where the right-hand-drive is the norm, like India, said its vice president (marketing, automotive division) Ashish Malik.

"We will soon start exporting KUV100 to countries such as Sri Lanka and others close to India," he said, while declining to draw any time line.

Announcing the launch of KUV100, its ninth launch so far this financial year, in the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh markets on Monday, Malik said the company was targeting bigger sales volumes with KUV100 to increase its market share in the utility vehicle space.

KUV100 is the first offering from M&M to sport a petrol engine mFalcon G80. It also comes with diesel engine, mFalcon D75. Available in seven variants each in petrol and diesel, the compact SUV's price starts from Rs 4.53 lakh (ex-showroom, Hyderabad)

Positioned to compete directly with popular compact hatchbacks like Maruti Suzuki's Swift and Hyundai's Grand i10, KUV100 is the first model from M&M's stable to land in the sub-Rs 7 lakh segment in the country's passenger vehicle space.

"The compact car segment accounts for over 100,000 units a month. We will be happy if we get eight to 10 per cent of that segment as KUV100 being an SUV is a better alternative to compact hatchbacks," Malik said.

Stating that M&M currently enjoys a 40 per cent market share in the compact segment, he said the company was expecting its market share to go up as the newly-launched compact SUV would generate large volumes for M&M.