Mahindra Verito Vibe
The Verito Vibe is quite a handsome looking car. With its edgy lines and distinct profile, the first thing that strikes one is how large this car is. With the front fascia being borrowed from its bigger saloon variant, the trapezoidal headlamps do look slightly outdated as compared to its competition. The rear, though, is where the Vibe truly shines. With its Ford Focus-esque high mounted tail lamps, indented windshield and a distinct boot, the Vibe clearly has seen some major time in Mahindra's automotive design facilities.
The Vibe though, as we mentioned, is not a hatchback. Whereas in a conventional hatchback, one would expect the rear windshield to open along with the boot section, the Verito features a smaller boot door with a fixed windscreen. This means that boot access is severely restricted which in turn effectively means a smaller boot. To work around this problem, Mahindra has innovatively moved the spare wheel to the bottom of the boot floor, as seen in many SUVs and MUVs, such as Mahindra's own scorpio and Xylo. Although this seems to have freed up a bit of space for luggage, the quintessential problem of a smaller boot access will plague the Vibe for years to come. The spare wheel access though, is quite easy. A small flap in the boot floor exposes a special nut, which when turned using the wheel wrench, drops the wheel neatly to the ground.
The Vibe's interiors are a direct lift from the Verito sallon. An overall improvement over the original Renault Logan, the Vibe's interiors feature a simple and effective setup. Due to the lack of basic features like steering-mounted audio controls, a non-adjustable steering wheel and the seats are quite comfortable, both up front and in the rear. The rear bench seat is supportive and comfortable, a feature that has been apparent since the time of the Renault-Mhindra parterships Logan saloon.
The 1.5-litre diesel engine in the new Mahindra Verito Vibe is still the same engine that did faithful duty in the Mahindra-Renault-badged Logan. This four-cylinder turbocharged 1.5-litre mill producing 64 horsepower feels adequate for the Vibe and with its proven track record, one can easily expect fuel efficiency figures of around 20kpl. The gearbox does feel slightly sluggish when one drives aggressively, but under normal city driving conditions, with the exception of a slightly heavy clutch pedal, the Vibe does offer largely hassle-free driving. The same is true of the suspension setup.
The Vibe, then is a good car. It does what it is supposed to do and nothing less. It looks quite nice, has plenty of room, isn't very expensive, has decent performance and is quite fuel-efficient. As a tool of transport from one point to another in acceptable forms of comfort, the Vibe definitely scores a thumping A+. However, if excitement, sportiness and outright driving pleasure are what you desire from your automobile. It makes life much easier for us lazy humans.
