Review: 2019 Mahindra Alturas G4 review, road test

Mahindra broke the Rs 10 lakh price ceiling with the Scorpio, the Rs 20 lakh ceiling with the XUV500, and now, its research indicates that Indian car buyers are willing to pay Rs 30 lakh for a luxury SUV wearing a Mahindra badge. It takes a strong product to break these psychological price barriers and perceptions, and to breach the Rs 30 lakh mark and get the job done, the carmaker borrowed the second-generation G4 Rexton from its Korean subsidiary, SsangYong, and renamed it the Alturas G4. ‘Alturas’ was the name given because it connotes height, so can Mahindra’s new flagship take the brand to new heights?

To make a great first impression, Mahindra has loaded the Alturas G4 to the brim with premium kit and launched it at aggressive price tags of Rs 26.95 lakh (4x2 AT) and Rs 29.95 lakh (4x4 AT), making the latter a whole Rs 3 lakh cheaper than the top variants of its two core rivals – the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour. So we put it through an exhaustive test to find out if pricing is the only aspect it’s got going in its favour or if it is truly a well-rounded, premium SUV capable of grabbing a sizable share in the segment. 

Mahindra has kept it simple with just two variants – a 4x2 AT and 4x4 AT. Both variants get features including Nappa leather seats, LED DRLs, projector headlamps, LED tail-lamps, 18-inch alloys, ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control, third-row air-con blower, tyre pressure monitor, cruise control, touchscreen, ESP, hill-start assist and hill-descent control. Our pick of the range, however, is the 4x4 AT variant. Apart from the four-wheel-drive hardware, the additional Rs 3 lakh gets you kit like a 360-degree camera, nine airbags, driver-side seat memory, a 7.0-inch coloured instrument cluster, Xenon headlamps, LED fog lamps, sunroof, ambient lighting, auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.

 

The 8.0-inch touchscreen has a nice display, but the system is a bit slow to respond. The interface isn’t very user-friendly, but the presence of physical shortcut buttons below the screen helps. While satellite navigation is missing, maps can be used via either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The international version gets a 10-speaker Infinity audio setup, which didn’t make it to the Indian version. We’re happy to report though, that in terms of sound quality, the six-speaker setup is very good with a crisp and clear sound output.

The Mahindra Alturas G4 is an impressive SUV that punches above its weight. It may not have the badge value of its rivals but as a product, it offers far more. Firstly, its towering dimensions and tough-looking design give owners the street cred they want. Then, the interiors take things several notches above its rivals; the first and middle row are really comfy and it gets a laundry list of features like cooled seats, a 360-degree camera, nine airbags, many of which are segment-best. Also hugely impressive is the best-in-class level of refinement, and when it comes to performance, the Alturas is no slouch. Where the SUV does fall behind is dynamics; it doesn’t feel as much of a driver’s car as the Ford Endeavour and it can’t match the Fortuner for off-road prowess.

However, as a car to live with every day, it does a great job. It’s a good highway cruiser and in town, too, it’s not as intimidating to drive as the Endeavour or the Fortuner, to which the Alturas is a credible alternative priced at Rs 26.95-29.95 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The Alturas is fantastic value for money and a good way of keeping Mahindra loyalists within the brand. 

from Autocar India http://bit.ly/2RtQSmb
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