The Mahindra S101 has been spied once again in Chennai. Mahindra has one of their R&D facilities located in the outskirts of the city, and hence the test mules of Mahindra s101 are a common sight in this region.
The test mule in question was fully deckd in camouflage. Even though it carried production-ready body panels, it was still equipped with the bare-basic bulbs in place of the tail-lamps and turn-indicators. Wheel rims were absent on this test mule.
The Mahindra S101 is the codename for one of the many new products that are destined to hit the market from the stables of Mahindra in the coming months. This product is aimed at milking the lucrative Compact-SUV segment, where currently the writ of the Ford EcoSport runs large. Since Mahindra will have an aggressive pricing strategy ready for the S101, expect some mouth-watering price tags on this product. We just hope Mahindra ensures better interior quality as well as upholstery.
The test mule in question seemed almost production-ready, hence we assume that things are clearly moving very fast on the S101’s front. The market launch of the Mahindra S101 is expected sometime next year. The other new product launches lined up from Mahindra include the Next-Generation Bolero and a refreshed version of the Scorpio.
The S101 will be a compact SUV, probably featuring a 3+3 seating arrangement. This could be made possible via the introduction of a bench seat at the front row. Hence, the gear shift lever will have to be moved to the dashboard, like it has been accomplished by Datsun’s engineers. Another notable fact is that the Mahindra S101 will be based on an all-new monocoque platform. The powerplant of the S101 will be a newly-developed 1.2 Liter 3-cylinder petrol engine, that has been jointly developed with Ssangyong. For the diesel variant, we expect the 1.5 liter, 3-cylinder mCR100 unit found in the Mahindra Quanto.
Of late, Mahindra has been facing stiff competition from various other models prowling the market. Could the Mahindra S101 do something to turn the tide a bit in Mahindra’s favour?
Spushots Courtesy – Indian Autos Blog