Mahindra Alturas SUV will undercut main competitor Toyota Fortuner in pricing and will be sold in both 2WD and 4WD configurations
The first generation SsangYong Rexton will finally be replaced in India by the upcoming Mahindra SUV that will rival Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. With launch scheduled for November 26, as opposed to previously believed November 19, it will be positioned above the Mahindra XUV500 as the flagship SUV within the brand’s domestic lineup.
Despite an array of speculations surroundings its name, it has now been reportedly that the full-sized SUV will carry Alturas moniker. It roughly means height or altitude or quality/characteristic of being tall and we do not know yet what the name signifies for Mahindra. It could probably deal with standing above rest of its competitors?
Essentially, the rebadged version of SsangYong G4 Rexton, which debuted last year at Seoul Motor Show, the Alturas has exterior changes to be relevant with the existing Mahindra range. It gets multiple vertical grille slats housing the Mahindra badge and other subtle changes while maintaining the aggressive road presence.
The Mahindra Alturas will be offered in G2 and G4 variants with 2WD and 4WD configurations respectively. Offering just two variants is not surprising considering that the Alturas will be powered by a single diesel engine choice. The 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 180.5 horsepower and 450 Nm of peak torque.
It is connected to only a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting sourced from Mercedes-Benz as in the international-spec SsangYong G4 Rexton. The Mahindra Alturas comes loaded with a number of number of features in its G4 4WD configuration as it gets 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Nappa brown leather seat upholstery, automated tailgate, electronic parking brake, etc.
It will be brought into the country via CKD route and locally assembled to aggressively undercut main rival Toyota Fortuner. Mahindra Alturas is a latest move from the homegrown automaker to introduce new range of vehicles into India following the Marazzo MPV. In early 2019, the S201 SUV will enter the market to revive Mahindra’s fortunes in the sub-four-metre segment with several class-leading features.