Mahindra S201 will go on sale in early 2019 to give tough competition to Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport
Mahindra & Mahindra is on a roll lately and is planning to launch two more products after the all-new Marazzo MPV that received tremendous response. With the Y400 rivalling Toyota Fortuner due for debut on November 19, Mahindra’s tryst with the subcompact SUV segment is never ending and is looking to take on potent rivals such as Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport with the S201 SUV.
The S201 could carry the XUV300 nameplate or Mahindra might opt to go with a refreshing moniker. Scheduled to enter India in the early parts of 2019, the S201 follows up the Marazzo and Y400 as a modern Mahindra vehicle and unlike the already existing TUV300 with rear-wheel-drive and ladder frame construction, it is completely different.
The Mahindra XUV300 is based on monocoque chassis courtesy of it being derived from the SsangYong Tivoli. It does not just obtain the platform from Tivoli but styling as well. The sharp design cues with a rather sleek yet boxy profile is reminiscent of the Tivoli and the near production ready test mule posted by Powerdrift further indicates that the exterior will play a key role in its success.
The homegrown auto major is expected to throw in a number of segment-first features to spice up the proceedings. Dual zone automatic climate control, disc brakes on all four wheels and seven airbags are reported to be the highlights among other equipment. It will definitely offer dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, speed alert warning and speed sensing door locks as standard.
Moreover, the S201 will be offered in both petrol and diesel engine options with front-wheel-drive system as standard. It will use the 1.5-litre D15 four-cylinder diesel engine that was transversely mounted in the Marazzo MPV. It should be good enough to produce as much as 123 PS and 300 Nm. The mooted 1.2-litre petrol engine, on the other hand, was earmarked to deliver in excess of 130 PS.
This will make the S201 the most powerful SUV in its segment. Both six-speed manual and six-speed AMT could be offered upon launch. The interior also gets heavily influenced by the Tivoli and it will have a premium presence with latest connectivity options such as a large touchscreen infotainment system, steering mounted controls, cruise control, etc.