Indian Autos Blog reader, Mr. Sathish, spotted the Mahindra S101 compact SUV while it was testing in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The S101 has been spied testing regularly in-and-around Chennai as Mahindra have their R&D facility located on the outskirts of the city.
Based on an all-new monocoque platform, the S101 is a sub-4 meter vehicle that would rival the likes of the Ford EcoSport. The test mule seen here is in a pre-production form as most of the body panels seem production ready, but a few elements like the taillights are substituted with basic bulbs.
Inside, the S101 is expected to sport a 3+3 seating arrangement. Similar to the Datsun Go, Mahindra would likely introduce a bench type seat at the front given that the gearlever is positioned on the center console itself.
Power for the S101 will come from a newly-developed 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol engine which is believed to have been jointly developed with Ssangyong Motor Company. The diesel engine could be the 1.5-liter three-cylinder mCR100 unit found in the Quanto.
The market launch of the S101 is expected sometime next year. Apart from this compact SUV, Mahindra are also working on a refresh for the Scorpio and the next generation Bolero.
