Mahindra has predominantly been making diesel engine powered utility vehicles for the longest time possible. So when the diesel market boomed some years back, life came to a full circle for this Indian auto giant and it was time to rake in the rewards. However, time and market are never constant and change is inevitable. With the price difference plummeting between petrol and diesel fuels, the market is heading back to petrol powered vehicles and now Mahindra too has changed its focus towards petrol engines, a major step for the company.
Mahindra’s next major launch will be two new compact SUVs in the country that will be powered by an all new petrol engine. The automaker says that the new engine will be competitive and in-line with the competition. The petrol motor is most likely to be a 1.2-litre unit that will comply with sub 4-metre norms, it will be equipped with a turbocharger. The petrol unit could also be available in different states of tune across the product range. The new engine is said to have been developed in collaboration with SsangYong and will also power a range of new models from the company’s lineup in the future.
Mahindra had to take a huge hit due to the advent of the compact SUV segment in the country. A major player in the larger UV space, the new compact SUVs captured the automaker’s market share and its limited presence in the segment meant no scope for growth. However with three compact SUVs planned for launch over the next two years including a micro-SUV, premium SUV and a sub 4-metre Bolero, Mahindra is preparing its arsenal to compete against the existing as well as new products that will come into the segment from other automakers in the coming months.
Furthermore, Mahindra also plans to launch facelifts for its product lineup in the next 15 months including passenger and commercial vehicles. The company will launch the updated Scorpio next month that will be followed by updates to the flagship XUV500, Quanto, Thar and the Genio in the company’s portfolio. The automaker plans to enter the US market with SsangYong and is currently working to see if it would be financially viable to sell cars in the country. Mahindra also plans to change the name of SsangYong brands and is currently conducting customer research to understand if a name change is required in the long term.
