The next year will see Mahindra launch 3 sub 4-metre vehicles in India that will be competing against compact SUVs as well as hatchback based crossovers.
After hitting an all-time low in terms of market share to new competitors, Mahindra is working hard to reclaim its lost market position in the Utility Vehicle (UV) space and has planned as many as seven new vehicles that will be launched within the course of next year. The Indian auto giant was hit hard by the stunted growth in the auto sector as well as the deregulation of diesel prices that made customers shift back to petrol powered vehicles. However, Mahindra has now been working on its new family of small capacity of petrol and diesel powered engines that will be powering its range of upcoming offerings in the future.
Coming to the 7 new launches, Mahindra’s new offerings include a new S101 micro-SUV that will be pitted against premium hatchbacks, the updated Thar based on the Xylo’s chassis (with improved interiors) and a facelifted version of the XUV500 with petrol and diesel hybrid engine options. In the sub 4-metre space, Mahindra has as many as 3 new launches planned for next year including the new generation Bolero codenamed U301 that was spotted recently testing by our reader Srikumar in Chennai. There is also the S102 compact SUV planned that is lined up for launch next year and will be pitted against the EcoSport. The automaker will also be bringing the next generation Quanto with a refurbished chassis and updates to the drivetrain.
In addition, Mahindra has offerings lined up for launch in the commercial space with the facelifted versions of the Genio and Bolero as well as 3 mini truck options in the sub 1.2-tonne segment. With so many offerings planned, the automaker will be scheduling a new launch in every 35-40 days, which is cited to bring an increased volume of around 80,000-90,000 units a year. Initially, Mahindra was planning to launch the micro SUV in January 2016 but advanced it to October next year to take a head-start. Mahindra is also requesting vendors for a May deadline which seems difficult as of now.
Coming to the new family of engines, the powertrain will be offered in different capacities including the 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engine options. There is also a 1.5-litre diesel under development, while the option of a 1.5-litre and 1.0-litre petrol is also on the cards. With some major revisions, Mahindra surely has a focused road map for 2015 and will be competing against almost every segment in the sub 4-metre space that will help reclaim its lost market share.
Source – Economic Times