In an interview with The Hindu, Dr. Pawan Goenka, president and executive director, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector (AFS), M&M, admitted that the company predicted the compact SUV boom in India to happen a year later than it actually did. However, he added that Mahindra's UV lineup will be strengthened next year by the addition of 2 new products in the compact SUV segment.
The Mahindra S101 crossover which is testing intensively is definitely one of the 2 products earmarked for 2015. The second compact SUV product that Dr. Geonka mentioned could either be a Quanto facelift or the sub-4 metre variant of the next gen Bolero that has started testing already.
Mahindra S101
The EcoSport rival will measure under 4 metres in length and would be powered by petrol and diesel engines displacing under 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre respectively, to take advantage of the small car excise duty concession. The petrol motor, the first member of a new engine family, is being jointly developed with Ssangyong.
The compact crossover, which is Mahindra's second monocoque vehicle, would get some design inspiration from the XUV500. Inside, the car features a dashboard-mounted gear lever with a possible 3+3 seating configuration.
Next gen Mahindra Bolero
Codenamed U301, the next gen Bolero would be available in two body lengths, shorter of which will be not longer than 4 metre. To comply to the Indian small car norm, the sub-4 metre Bolero could borrow the 1.5-litre three-cylinder diesel engine from the Quanto.
While the sub-4 metre Bolero's market position in relation to the Quanto is yet to be seen, expect the legislation-guided variant to bring down the Bolero's starting price from today's figure.
[Source: The Hindu]
