Hero MotoCorp’s first electric scooter under the Vida brand and Mahindra’s XUV300 Sportz variant will be launched tomorrow in India
Mahindra & Mahindra will introduce the XUV300 1.2 T-GDi tomorrow in the Indian market and it has been caught undisguised a couple of times already in the last few days. First displayed at the 2020 Auto Expo, the XUV300 1.2 T-GDi variant features a 1.2-litre three-pot turbo direct-injection petrol engine producing 131 hp and 230 Nm of peak torque.
The powertrain will be paired with a six-speed manual transmission only and will boast an idle start/stop technology for improved fuel saving. It will be sold alongside the existing 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel engines that are paired with an MT or an AMT. The T-GDi unit is 21 hp more powerful and 30 Nm torquier than the regular petrol engine.
This will make the compact SUV the most powerful petrol model in its segment and it will compete against the recently launched Hyundai Venue N Line along with the Kia Sonet X-Line. To distinguish itself from the regular XUV300, it gets a number of visual enhancements including a new dual-tone brown and black exterior body shade.
Other highlights in the Mahindra XUV300 1.2 T-GDi are a new glossy black front grille with red accents, a blackened central air inlet, chrome garnished bumper and grille, black interior theme, contrast red stitching for the seat upholstery, new silver trims, etc. It could be offered in multiple trim levels or act as the fully-loaded top-spec model.
Hero MotoCorp will introduce its first electric scooter under the Vida EV-only sub-brand tomorrow in the domestic market as well. It has already been teased a few times and is expected to be priced at around Rs. 1 lakh. It will likely have a futuristic design with sharp-looking body panels and removable batteries for added convenience.
While the technical specifications are not yet known, it could compete against Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube, Ather 450X, Ola S1 and the likes. The Vida electric scooter will likely feature LED lighting all around, a TFT dashboard, front and rear alloy wheels, a single-piece seat, and large understorage space.