Mahindra went on an announcement spree yesterday and as we reported earlier, the homegrown carmaker made it official that as many as 9 new passenger vehicles will hit the streets by 2026. Mahindra is renowned for bestowing us with rugged and potent SUVs and has already confirmed in the past that it is going to stick to what it does best – make SUVs. The list of upcoming Mahindra vehicles includes the likes of new Scorpio, 5-door Thar, all-new Bolero, XUV700, all-new XUV300 and two new products codenamed W620 and V201.
Moreover, Mahindra has also confirmed that it will play a significant role in India’s electric revolution by launching two new electric cars based on the Born EV platform. These new EVs are expected to become a thing of reality in 2025-26.
Mahindra XUV700
The first new vehicle to get officially launched is going to be the Mahindra XUV700. Mahindra has already confirmed the moniker and has also launched its official website.
If all things go well, the XUV700 is expected to be launched by October. If reports are to be believed, the XUV700 is going to replace the existing XUV500. It has already been spied testing multiple times. The XUV700 will get both diesel and petrol engine options along with both manual and automatic transmission options.
According to the carmaker, the XUV700 is going to be “Built on a global platform with expert partners offering first-in-class features. Available across Diesel & Petrol engines, manual & automatic transmissions, optional AWD. World Class Safety. Diesel & Petrol Engines. With Sci-Fi Tech.” It is expected to come with Level 2 Autonomous Driving Assist Systems (ADAS). It will have capabilities for functions like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist.
New Scorpio
The new Scorpio is expected to follow suit and will arrive sometime in 2022. It was expected to officially reveal its face in 2021 itself but the pandemic has ruined the timeline. The new Scorpio has been spied testing on multiple occasions and it is pretty evident from the images that the new Scorpio has received a major overhaul in terms of overall aesthetics.
It is expected to borrow the same powertrains found in the new Thar. There’s the 2.2 litre diesel motor and the 2.0 litre turbo petrol motor. Transmission options include 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic unit. Higher trims are expected to come with 4×4 drivetrain.
5-Door Thar
Mahindra has also confirmed that the much-talked-about 5-door Thar SUV is definitely in the works and should hit the streets during the period of 2023-2026. In its three-door format, the Thar is a four-seater with two front-facing seats at the back. The side-facing seats were removed last year as the SUV’s 4-star rating is only applicable for its front-facing seats.
The five-door version will come with a bench that should be able to seat three people at the back. Mahindra could go ahead and free up more space inside the Thar’s cabin. The existing model’s wheelbase is 2450mm. If Mahindra manages to squeeze out more space on the inside, it will prove to be a major selling point of Thar and will definitely add more to its appeal.
New Bolero
Mahindra launched the Bolero back in 2000 and since then, it hasn’t received a major overhaul. Mahindra has rolled out several updates for the Bolero in the past few years but it has largely remained the same. Mahindra has confirmed that the new Bolero will become a thing of reality during 2023-2026. The generational upgrade could see the Bolero being underpinned by the new Thar’s platform.
We can expect the Bolero to be a 4-star rated vehicle like the Thar. We expect the Bolero to continue to be a subcompact offering so it should be offered with a sub-4m friendly 1.5-litre diesel engine. Mahindra offers the current-gen model with a 1.5-litre diesel unit producing 76PS and 210Nm, paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. An automatic transmission option with the new-gen model is likely to be on the cards.
Mahindra XUV300
The XUV300 in its current guise is a rather potent compact-SUV and is renowned for its safety and driving dynamics. Mahindra is going to give the XUV300 a thorough makeover during the same period. It is likely to receive the turbo-petrol mill that was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020.
Mahindra could also go ahead and load the cabin with more features than the current model. Several aesthetic tweaks here and there are also expected to be a part of the package.
Mahindra W620 and V201
Post this, Mahindra will start working on the W620 SUV, which we suspect is the XUV900. It should be the flagship SUV in the XUV lineup, (probably) replacing the Alturas G4, considering SsangYong isn’t in the picture now.
The third model, codenamed V201, is likely the next-gen XUV500 that will rival the five-seater Creta.
Electric vehicles
Mahindra announced that the XUV700, XUV300, W620 and V201 will be be provided with all-electric powertrains as well, which will be sold alongside the standard models. The XUV300 is expected to be the first EV from this range.
The demand for EVs is on a constant rise and to capitalize on this, Mahindra will launch two all-electric SUVs – called Born EV1 and Born EV2 for now — from 2025 to 2026. These two will be based on a dedicated EV platform, not borrowing their architecture from any ICE model.