Interested in the Mahindra Quanto? Meet the competition.
Mahindra Bolero
From within the Mahindra family, the Quanto faces some stiff competition. The Bolero is one of the best selling vehicles from Mahindra and the Quanto may just take a few sales from it. They're very similar too, with two normal rows of seating and jump seats at the back. The Bolero is much more basic than the Quanto though, with very little in the way of creature comforts, but if you're looking for something that will stand up to years of abuse, then the Bolero is unmatched!
The Bolero comes with a 2.6-litre m2CRDe engine making 62 bhp under the hood. Now, compared to the Quanto, it’s down by a good 40 bhp, but on the move, the Bolero doesn’t really feel lacking at all.
Basic Specs:
Mahindra Bolero
Engine: 2.6-litre, turbo-diesel, 62 bhp@3200 rpm
Seating for: 7
Price range: Rs 5.43 - 6.94, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Mahindra Xylo
Yet another competitor from within the Mahindra stable, the Xylo is more or less a larger version of the Quanto anyway. For the longest time, the Quanto was known as the mini Xylo, so it's natural that these two will be cross-shopped by prospective buyers. Everything else being the same though, the Xylo is the one to go for if you're looking to use that last row of seating very regularly. It's also got a larger engine under the hood to lug around the extra weight.
With engines ranging from the 2.5-litre m2DICRDe engine making 95 bhp to the 112 bhp mEagle or the top-of-the-line 120 bhp mHawk engine in the E9 variant. That’s basically a detuned version of the engine in the XUV.
In fact, forget the Quanto, the Xylo is an MUV that gives the gold standard of this segment, the Toyota Innova, a run for its money, and it’s much cheaper than that to boot, so you have your work cut out for you if you’re looking at carrying seven people quite often.
Basic Specs:
Mahindra Xylo
Engine: 2.5-litre, m2CRDe engine, 95 bhp@3600 rpm
2.5-litre, mEagle engine, 112 bhp@3800 bhp
2.2-litre, mHawk engine, 120 bhp@4000 rpm
Price range: Rs 7.13 - 10.19 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
The Ertiga is the car to go to if you're not quite ready for a full-sized MPV but might still need that extra space occasionally. With a third row of bench seats and a second row that slides fore and aft, the last row passengers are certainly going to be more comfortable in the Ertiga. It's also going to be better to drive because of its FWD dynamics, so you don't need to re-learn driving and handling at the limits. With an economical 1.3-litre diesel engine and a bomb of a 1.4-litre petrol one, you won't be left wanting for power in this people carrier for sure.
The diesel engine does make more power than it does in the swift, thanks to a variable vane turbocharger, but there’s also a good bit of turbo lag, so it becomes a bit of a handful in the city. Then again, the Quanto is also all about the mid-range power rather than low down torque or high up power, but opt for the new, larger petrol engine and you’ll have a constant supply of power at the behest of your right foot.
Of course, there are other factors involved also, like Maruti’s extensive service network and the proven reliability of the 1.3-litre multi-jet engine compared to the newer three-pot engine in the Quanto.
Basic specs:
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
Engine: 1.3-litre, turbo-diesel, 89 bhp@4000 rpm
1.4-litre, petrol, 94 bhp@6000 rpm
Price: Petrol Rs 5.89 lakh - 7.30, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Diesel Rs 7.3 - 8.45 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Renault Duster
Renault's sales haven't exactly been stellar, but with the launch of the Duster, long waiting lists have become the norm for them. This compact SUV is quite the all-rounder with good on-road manners as well as decent off-road prowess. The Base version with a petrol engine falls in the same price band as the Quanto, and thus will be prone to getting compared.
The main disadvantage of the Duster is that it is only a 5-seater. There are dealer installed jump seats available, but if you're going to get jump seats, you're better off going for the factory installed ones like in the Quanto and show some mercy on those last row occupants.
Again, unlike the rear wheel driven Quanto, the FWD Duster will offer much better driving dynamics and won’t catch you off guard at the limits. Since we’re comparing only the base model, instead of the more powerful 108 bhp version of the diesel engine, you’ll find an 84 bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine under the hood. Mind you, we think this engine is better suited for city driving than the high powered one simply because it’s a lot more driveable with only a small hint of turbo lag, so don’t be put off by the lower figure. There’s also a 1.6-litre petrol engine on offer if you don’t have much driving and you’d rather have the lower NVH of a petrol engine. This unit makes 102 bhp of linear peak power which is rather more enjoyable than the diesels.
Basic Specs:
Renault Duster
Engine: 1.5-litre, turbo-diesel, 84 bhp@3750 rpm, 102 bhp@6000 rpm
Price range: Petrol Rs 7.47 - 8.52 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Diesel Rs 8.31 - 11.77 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire
If you only really need a five seater and you're not looking to go too far off the beaten path anyway, a proper sedan, or something that tries to be one, anyway, will do just as well. The Swift Dzire comes with petrol as well as diesel power, with the diesel one being the more fun to drive and fuel efficient variant. With that stubby boot, you won't be able to carry nearly as much as you can in the Quanto though.
The new Dzire has been designed from the ground up to be efficient as well as friendly for the environment. The Dzire is actually lighter than the outgoing model, which means more savings for you at the fuel pump and a better driving experience overall. Features wise, it’s more or less a tie, with the Quanto getting start-stop technology on top of everything.
Basic Specs:
Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire
Engine: 1.3-litre, turbo-diesel, 74 bhp@4000 rpm
1.2-litre, petrol, 86 bhp@6000 rpm
Price range: Petrol Rs 4.9-6.19 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Diesel Rs 5.8 - 7.09 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Hyundai i20
For about the same price as the Quanto, you can get yourself a Hyundai i20 hatchback that's completely loaded with features. You'll be losing the commanding view of the road and some luggage space, but in return, you get plush ride quality and car-like handling. It's not the most fun to drive hatch around, but you certainly get a lot for your money with the i20.
For you city dwellers, the i20 comes with the option of an automatic transmission mated to a 1.4-litre petrol engine, so bumper-to-bumper traffic will be a lot better to get through with one of these, just be ready for a little higher fuel consumption though, owing to the larger engine and the nature of automatic transmissions. There’s also 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.4-litre diesel engines available mated to five-speed and six-speed manual transmissions respectively.
Basic Specs:
Engine: 1.2-litre, petrol, 84 bhp@6000 rpm
1.4-litre, petrol, 98 bhp@5750 rpm
1.4-litre, turb-diesel, 88 bhp@4000 rpm
Price range:Petrol Rs 5.13 - 8.19 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
Diesel Rs 6.23 - 7.86 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai
