Mahindra Verito – Old wine in old bottle but with a new label

It has been a year for the Mahindra-Renault breakup. And Mahindra seems to have not wasted a minute since the split; the result being the Mahindra Verito; rather the Logan gets a new name with a new badge.

Just a renaming, you might wonder. It wasn't the only purpose of Mahindra but they have also given a little facelift to the car to come with the Verito. Mahindra has maintained the 'O' factor similar to Bolero and Scorpio. The other big change is the Verito gets the Mahindra logo and the tag line 'Grow to Verito' is a clear indication that the sedan is focused to woo the older lot rather for people who prefer the car for quality and performance over only the style factor. It has to be seen if the car can actually 'grow' the interest of the customers.

Looks (exteriors and interiors)
The Verito gets a better front grille with chrome finish and the bumper merges with body color to give a classy look to the car. The stylish headlights and rear light compliment well to the elegant look of Verito. Logan was quite a dampener in the style department but Mahindra has been conscious enough to present a good looking car. The fog lamps at rear and the rear lights are positioned at god height that aids while driving in bad weather and road conditions. Customers will seldom complain about the style factor this time around.

Maybe the interiors will leave buyers a bit disappointed though not to say it is bad but the customers will be left asking for more. The design for space optimization is impressive and fabric upholstery adds a touch of class apart from the dual tone seats and the carbon force steering that offer superb grip while driving. Other than the conventional features the car boasts of cigarette lighter, sun visors, ashtray, heater, power windows etc make up for the features. The rear seat passengers will feel lucky and comfortable, as they all get head rests. But the airbags only for the driver and the square dash board are some let down for prospective buyers. The features too haven't received much of an enhancement rather the car lacks safety and interior features. However, Mahindra Verito is one wide-bodied car, so if you are looking for a spacious sedan you can simply choose Mahindra Verito as there is no other car in the class offering space like the Verito does.

Engine, performance and mileage
The Verito comes in both petrol and diesel versions. The petrol variant is equipped with 1.4L, 4 cylinders, 1399 cc, 5-speed manual transmission engine that puffs 75 bhp @ 5500 and torque 110 Nm @ 3000 rpm. Yet the petrol version is lesser powered and lesser torqued as opposed to the Honda City, or Hyundai Accent or Hyundai Verna or the Ford Fiesta or the Tata Indigo Marina.

The diesel Verito gets a 1.5 L, 4 cylinders, 5-speed manual transmission that delivers a maximum power of 65 bhp at 4000 rpm and torque of 160 Nm at 2000 rpm. The 12 variants of Verito comes with BSIII and BSIV adaptability.



The ground clearance of 172mm allows it to run off the road very comfortably. The ABS and the disc brakes for both front and rear wheels offer great control while driving. The gear ratio ensures you have a comfortable driving experience in the city as well as on the highway. The 1.4 L engine Verito touches a top speed of 144 kmph while the 1.5L engine can reach up to 151 kmph.

The petrol variant Verito gives a mileage of around 11.3 kmpl in the city and a little over 15 kmpl on the highway; while the diesel one gives around 14 in the city and near about 20 kmpl along the highway.

Colors, variants and price
The Mahindra Verito comes in toreador red, fiery black, java brown, mist silver, twilight blue, rocky beige and diamond white. The following are the Verito variants along with the prices:

- Mahindra Verito 1.4 G2 BSIII- Rs 4,82,100
- Mahindra Verito 1.4 G2 BSIV- Rs 4,91,693
- Mahindra Verito 1.4 G4 BSIII- Rs 5,07,100
- Mahindra Verito 1.4 G4 BSIV - Rs 5,16, 693
- Mahindra Verito 1.4 G4 Play BSIII- Rs 5,57,100
- Mahindra Verito 1.5 D2 BSIII- Rs 5,61,800
- Mahindra Verito 1.5 D2 BSIV- Rs 5,83,393
- Mahindra Verito 1.5 D4 BSIII- Rs 5,91,800
- Mahindra Verito 1.5 D4 BSIV- Rs 6,13,393
- Mahindra Verito 1.5 D4 Play BSIII- Rs 6,41,800
- Mahindra Verito 1.5 D6 BSIII- Rs 6,47,800
- Mahindra Verito 1.5 D6 BSIV- Rs 6,69,693

Final word - Why should we buy Verito, Why we can look for other options
After a bitter Logan experience Mahindra has come up with the Verito, but it is having same wine in same old bottle but with a new badge. Don't take me rude guys. There are few differences though; back looks better and the remote fuel tank lid and boot opener are value addition, but can these things substantially improve the appeal that Logan had? Maybe better than its predecessor but still does not completely keep up to the high expectations of the customers. Yet the Mahindra Verito is a value for money car with Mahindra Badge and is a good competitor to Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire in terms of comfort, space and fuel economy. Why anyone will not buy Verito is because it looks box like lacking safety features and cheap finish interiors with poor ergonomics.