Mahindra’s new Vitara Brezza rival to offer best-in-class performance

Homegrown automaker Mahindra is about to launch an all-new compact SUV (Codenamed: S201) in mid-2018, based on the Ssangyong Tivoli. Rivalling products like the Maruti Vitara Brezza, the Ecosport, and the about to be launched Tata Nexon among others, the sub-four-meter SUV will be powered by 1.2- litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel motors which will churn out a healthy output under the new car’s hood.

Members of the new-generation mFalcon engine family, both engines have been developed in-house by Mahindra. The new compact SUV’s 1.2-litre petrol motor is essentially the same three-cylinder unit which powers the KUV100, developing a modest 80.6 hp under its hood. However, with the same bore and stroke, it now gets direct fuel-injection and a larger turbocharger which will bump up the power output to 140 hp! This will be significantly more than what the upcoming SUV’s rivals like the Nexon and Ecosport pack under their hoods. Mahindra is also developing a turbocharged version of this engine without direct injection which will power some of its other future models.

The diesel motor powering the S201 will be a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder unit, which is essentially the same 1.2, three-cylinder diesel motor that powers the KUV100, but with an extra cylinder. The first vehicle to be powered by this new engine will be Mahindra’s upcoming Innova rival, codenamed as U321. Where under the MPV’s hood, displacement could be bumped up to a 1.6-litre configuration. For the S201 though, Mahindra has downsized the engine to under 1.5 litres to meet the compact car criteria. In its 1.5-litre avatar, the new motor could churn out a healthy 125 HP, which again is substantially more than the figure which products like the Vitara Brezza’s spec sheets carry.

A product that will be up against competition like the Nexon, The S201 will be a modified version of the Ssangyong Tivoli with a shortened wheelbase and some cosmetic changes to make its face fit into Mahindra’s family tree. Expected to be priced aggressively, we expect the manufacturer to give us a glimpse of this product at the upcoming Auto Expo 2018.

Source: Autocar