Mahindra Verito Vibe Road Test Review: A Positive Vibe

The Verito Vibe is another strong value package from the people’s champion, Mahindra. It would be tough to find an auto brand in India whose products spell more value than M&M. Right from the hot-selling Bolero to the bigger Scorpio, the products from the M&M stable are offered at an unmatched price and hold their value really well owing to their reliability and ruggedness.

In that context, the recently introduced, Logan / Verito based Vibe comes across as an important product. The hatchback segment is the single most important category for most carmakers looking for volumes, and the expectations from this new hatch would be high. Does the Vibe manage to meet the lofty expectations of our unrelentingly value seeking populace in this already tough to crack market. We just took the new hatch out for a spin to find out.

Words: Arjun Dharve  Images: Hanoz Patel

Design and visuals

The Mahindra Verito Vibe shares its platform with the Verito Sedan. The `shrunk` version of the Verito is easy to tell from the overall design. A glance from the front three quarters, and the Vibe instantly reminds one of the Verito, nee Logan. To give the Vibe its own identity, Mahindra has replaced the chrome front grille and given the Vibe a “Carbon finished” treatment. The headlamps have smoked effect adding to the sportiness of the new look.

With the Vibe, Mahindra has introduced a set of Champagne alloy wheels which complement the overall design of the car, especially the “Toreador Red” shade that our test car came splashed in. We can imagine how handsome the Vibe would look with the “Fiery Black” shade on the offer. The rear end of the Vibe is the area that has been totally reworked by Mahindra and remains a talking point for the most.

This compact saloon comes with Ski racks which merge into the tail lamps and further underline its sporty intent. Adorned with “Light Streaming LED Tail Lamps” gives it a Neon tube effect within the tail lap unit and look quite spectacular once the dusk sets in. The stop light however isn`t an actual LED as suggested by this feature, nevertheless it does manage to turn heads. The catchy tail lamp unit remains by far the most visually attractive element of the car which is not flush fit with the rear windscreen making them a standout feature.

The rear windscreen meets the rear hatch which is hinged under the fixed rear parcel shelf. Unlike a normal hatchback, the rear windscreen remains fixed and hampers the usability of the boot. At 330 litres, the boot itself is big enough to accommodate more luggage than what it can swallow. While the proper hatch door is desirable, keeping the costs in check this remains the only solution for manufacturers. Externally the boot lid incorporates a lip at the base of the windscreen which is steeply raked like its elder sibling.

The license plate recess has a chrome applique above it with the Mahindra logo embossed on it. The chrome treatment keeps the rear look of the car fresh with matt back dual tone bumper completing the rear end. The only grouse one can point out is the panel weld line below the tail lamp which remains an eyesore to an otherwise neat design. While the smart looking rear is a mismatch with the dated and plain looking front, the overall looks of the car tend to grow on you as you spend time, and look less contradicting eventually.

Next page for interiors and features>>>