IAB’s automotive illustrator Shoeb Kalania presents a clean rendering of the Mahindra S201 that incorporates fresh details revealed by the latest reader spy shots. It shows the SUV in almost a road-ready avatar, which we safely assume will not be called the XUV300.
The Mahindra S201 is smaller than the SsangYong Tivoli so that it can circumvent the local tax structure that goes easier on cars measuring under 4,000 mm in length. It also has an individual design with a completely different front and rear ends. The rendering shows reshaped projector headlamps with U-shaped LED signature lights, six-slot toothed grille and a more aggressively designed hexagonal lower air intake.
At the rear, the Mahindra S201 has an entirely different tailgate design from the Tivoli. Also, where the original South Korean model has vertically stacked tail lamps, its Indianised iteration has horizontally positioned clusters. Another difference is that the latter’s license plate indentation is set on the tailgate, not the bumper.
The interior should look mostly the same, although it is worth noting that the SsangYong Tivoli will gain a comprehensively redone interior with its mid-cycle update next year. The Mahindra's interior equipment will reportedly first-in-class include dual-zone automatic climate control, touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, leather upholstery, engine start-stop button and electric sunroof.
In addition to rear parking sensors, rear parking camera and ABS with EBD, the main safety features would be the four-wheel disc brakes, front parking sensors, ESP and seven airbags, all making the SUV the safest in its segment, on paper.
The Mahindra S201 will employ the new 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 90.2 kW (122.64 PS) at 3,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque at 1,750-2,500 rpm in the Mahindra Marazzo. This engine will send drive to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission.
Dr. Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra, confirmed last year that the company will offer a petrol engine option right from launch. He was likely referring to the new 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder mill having a maximum power output of about 100 kW (135.96 PS).
Also Read: G4 Rexton-based SUV to be called the Mahindra Inferno?
The high-spec Mahindra S201 will compete with the Maruti Vitara Brezza and Ford EcoSport. The launch is programmed in January 2019.
