Last month Mahindra had showcased the GenZe electric scooter that was completely developed at the company’s new Mahindra North American Technical Centre (MNATC) in Michigan. The Indian auto giant had then stated that the MNATC will be instrumental in developing new products and prototypes for the company on a global level in the future. Now, with the technical centre in place, Mahindra has confirmed that the first product to be developed at the centre will be a large MPV that will be sold globally, starting from India in 2017.
While Mahindra’s European R&D centre plans have been put on hold, the US centre is being seen as a vital asset that will develop the company’s future products. The MNATC is developing a whole new product with over 35 engineers working that will see production by 2017. Mahindra currently has no new products in the pipeline for the current financial year. The 2015-16 fiscal however is expected to get exciting for the company as the S101 Compact SUV will finally see a launch date.
This year though, Mahindra will give the Scorpio a comprehensive facelift that is expected to be launched around the festive season. The company is also trying to protect its 42 percent of market share in the 5.25 lakh units per year UV segment that has seen new entrants in the form of Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Renault-Nissan, with others to follow soon. The company saw a slowdown in sales from June last year, owing to the overall downward trend in the auto market, but is optimistic that sales will see an improvement from this month onwards.
The upcoming MPV from Mahindra is expected to be a premium model and will most likely be competing against the larger Toyota Innova, while the Honda Mobilio will be joining the segment in July. Currently, the MPV segment in India commands 12,000 units per month, which is expected to increase further in the coming years. Mahindra currently retails the Ertiga rivalling Xylo MPV that is priced between Rs. 7.6-10 lakhs in the country. The MNATC on the other hand will support Mahindra’s strategy to become a global player in the next ten years.
Source – Financial Express