Starting April 1st, 2019, most car manufacturers in India have decided to hike the prices of their product range. The reason cited for that is the rise in input costs and the addition of equipment to meet regulatory norms among other factors. Homegrown auto major Mahindra too has joined the group and has announced that effective 1st April 2019, the price of its range of personal and commercial vehicles will increase by 0.5 – 2.7%, resulting in an increase of Rs 5,000 – Rs 73,000, across its models.
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According to Rajan Wadhera, President Automotive Sector, M&M Ltd., “This year has seen record high commodity price increases. Further, there are regulatory requirements effective April 1st that have also led to cost increases. While we have made efforts to reduce our costs, it has not been possible to hold back the price increase. Consequently, we are taking a price increase from April 1, 2019.”
On the product front, after launching products like the Alturas, XUV300 and the Marazzo, Mahindra is currently working on upgrades for the Thar, Scorpio and the XUV500. The next-gen versions of these vehicles will involve a lot of Mahindra’s different divisions, where development work has been shared across the company’s diverse verticals. Where the next-gen Thar will be wider and bigger than its current avatar, it will also be powered by a new engine which will perhaps crank out more power and should be more efficient. In order to make it pass through upcoming regulations, safety aids will also be added.
On the other hand, there are rumours floating around that the next-gen XUV500 could be based on the updated Ssangyong Korando, which was recently revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. The next-gen Scorpio too will be built to international standards and there could be revisions in the chassis, styling and power departments. After the Marazzo scored 4 stars after a Global NCAP test, Mahindra is also working to make all their new products one of the safest in their respective segments. Testimony to this is the fact that the XUV300 offers as many as 7 airbags, which is a segment first. Expect to see a glimpse of these new-gen Mahindras at the Auto Expo in New Delhi next year.