Mahindra Developing Compact SUV To Take On Ecosport


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If you're looking for fuel efficiency, your best bet is a small car. If adventure and a muscular look and feel are what you prefer to trip out on, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) would be your choice of wheels. But what if you're seeking both mileage and the pleasures of off-road driving - at a jawdropping price?

Say hello to the mini-SUV, a first-of-its kind vehicle in India - and perhaps the world - that utility vehicle major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is developing with Ssangyong, the South Korean SUV maker it acquired last year. Codenamed the S101, the 'Nano' SUV - as it is being dubbed by some workers on M&M's shop floors - will be powered by 1-1.2 litre petrol engines and 1.5-litre diesel engines. Work on the project began a year ago, say people working on it; and the vehicles are expected to roll out of M&M's plant in Chakan on the outskirts of Pune - where the newlylaunched XUV500 is being produced - in 26-28 months. Estimated price range: between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4 lakh.

The price tag is noteworthy because most mini-SUVs - typically under 4 metres in length - are premium products. The Jeep Wrangler, Nissan Juke and Skoda Yeti are some of the best-selling mini and compact SUVs globally, yet their pricing is clearly premium - the Yeti, for instance, sells in India at over Rs 14 lakh.

If M&M can pull off the S101 at the stated price, it would make it the only mini-SUV in that price range anywhere in the world. To persist with the Nano analogy, it would do for SUVs what Tata Motors has done for cars by opening up an altogether new ultra lowcost category.

The S101 project is also the first joint development effort by the M&M-Ssangyong combine. For the South Korean maker of sports utility vehicles, the low-cost segment is alien, and hence a welcome addition to its range.

There's another reason both M&M and Ssangyong are keen on this segment: In India, passenger vehicles under 4 metres fitted with 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines attract a lower excise duty of 10% (for larger cars it is 22%). In South Korea, the vehicle will have a turbo-charged sub-1 litre engine as this segment does not attract a levy except for a 10% value-added tax.

Team of Over 100 Engineers at Work

When contacted, an M&M spokesperson said that as a matter of policy the company does not comment on future plans. Says Rajan Wadhera, chief executive, technology, product development & sourcing, M&M: "Work on a new platform should be concluded very soon and it will be on the compact side." He refused to divulge specific details. He added that the project is at the styling and customer research stage and technocommercial viability has to be established. People close to the development say the platform will be monocoque (or unibody) and the plan is to have different body shells for M&M and Ssangyong vehicles.

M&M has set up a team of over 100 engineers who are working on various functions of styling, body design, trims, vehicle integration, suspensions, engine development and cooling systems. The company is relying on value engineering and software solutions to keep development costs low.

Mahindra to do a Nano, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV - The Economic Times
 
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Re: Mahindra to do a Nano SUV, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV

Thats some good news. The only nearest competitor would be Gypsy and mahindra's own range of MUVs.
 
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Re: Mahindra to do a Nano SUV, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV

Good move & highly awaited. But 26-28months is too long. [frustration]
 
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Re: Mahindra to do a Nano SUV, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV

I like the concept , good for the consumers but not for the reputation of SUV'S.


IMO , SUV'S are not vehicles which should be built for such a small budget and such a small size. I hate it when Skoda calls their Yeti an SUV!
 
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Re: Mahindra to do a Nano SUV, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV

Hmm, it is like creating a mini WWE wrestler. Although it might be a success but not a personal fan of mini SUVs.
 
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Re: Mahindra to do a Nano SUV, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV

I hope it should not be similar with what Ford has done with Fusion.
I know this is :offtopic: sorry for the same.
But Till today I don't know whether to call it a Hatchback or mini SUV. Though it is a nice vehicle, Ford failed to market it in proper segment.
 
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Re: Mahindra to do a Nano SUV, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV

well it sounds great and 3-4 lakhs is very cheap but it will be overgrown hatchback only!! 1 liter engine is nothing for suv even if you add 4x4!! i dont understand why are ET comparing with yeti!! [frustration]
 
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Re: Mahindra to do a Nano SUV, working with Ssangyong on sub-Rs 4 lakh SUV

24-28 months of now. This is big time taking into consideration market dynamics.
Btw, how can this be called as mini-UV ? By this logic, the new Sedan Class Tata Vista will become UV & Scorpio/Safari Big-UV [lol].

Those looking at proper UVs may not be the prospective buyers, it maybe targeted towards those who require hatchback with good FE but drive on bad roads. I think the engine too would be in the range of 1.1-1.4 l only.

@ dt4,

Besides Ford Fusion, even Premier Rio is flopped, despite even having the spare tyre on the door at rear !!
 

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Re: Mahindra Developing Sub-4 Lakh SUV With SsangYong!

Mahindra was earlier planning on engineering a small car and compact crossover expected to share common traits with platform and powertrains. The cars are codenamed C-101(car) and S-101(crossover) are likely to be built on a powerful engineering technique recently employed in cars the monocoque design along with the supremely creative front-wheel drive architecture which could do the same magic once did on the XUV500. This is a standard practice used by industry manufacture to generate premium cars. The cars will be maintained below four-meters and will strongly compete with Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai which are also pioneers in this segment. Verito is the only sedan car currently being sold in the Indian market by Mahindra.
Source
 
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SCOOP! Mahindra developing new compact SUV

Mar 13, 2013
We were the first to tell you about Mahindra developing a range of new SUVs, including sub-compact models, and now here are the first ever pictures of one such model undergoing testing.

This new baby SUV (codenamed S101) will be the second offering from Mahindra in the sub-four-metre SUV segment and will sit below the Quanto. Mahindra plans to aim the S101 at the likes of sportier mini-SUVs like the Ford EcoSport. As you can see from the photo, this heavily camouflaged test mule is at a very early stage of development, and features dummy head- and tail-lamps. The car’s profile reveals a sporty, crossover-like stance with high ground clearance and a slightly raked rear windscreen.

Mahindra is reportedly planning to share interior components with its other models to keep costs down. What’s more, seeing as how it managed to squeeze seven seats into a sub-four-metre footprint with the Quanto, the company could pitch this new SUV as a six- or even an eight-seater.

The carmaker is also reportedly considering developing an upmarket version of the S101 that will be codenamed S102.

SCOOP! Mahindra developing new compact SUV | News | Autocar India
 

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Re: SCOOP! Mahindra developing new compact SUV

Nice catch Raja [clap].

Mahindra is definitely on a roll. After beating TATA on Passenger Vehicle Sales , I think their next target would definitely be to challenge Hyundai.

Cheers,
Anshuman
 
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Re: SCOOP! Mahindra developing new compact SUV

Nice catch Raja [clap].

Mahindra is definitely on a roll. After beating TATA on Passenger Vehicle Sales , I think their next target would definitely be to challenge Hyundai.

Cheers,
Anshuman
What I like about them is they are going aggressively in the type of category of vehicles in which they have best experience . If the design is eye catchy iam sure they can give sleep less nights to ford , Renault too.
 
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Re: SCOOP! Mahindra developing new compact SUV

What I like about them is they are going aggressively in the type of category of vehicles in which they have best experience . If the design is eye catchy iam sure they can give sleep less nights to ford , Renault too.
Ford would have been thinking till now that they have a winner in Eco sport until they read this news. Now what, Eco sport has competition before launch? M&M are truly ramping up and how in passenger car segment. [clap]

I guess, with the delays in launchin of eco sport, what if this new S101 is launched before Ecosport, then we all would be calling eco sport as the competitor to S101. [evil]
 

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