Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), which recently launched its first grounds-up compact SUV, the TUV300, is now gearing up to bring its first compact crossover to the market. Our sources tell us that this crossover (Codename: S101) will use the alpha-numeric nomenclature and will be called the XUV100 when it hits showrooms this fiscal year.
Mahindra’s first vehicle with the XUV moniker, the XUV500 is its first monocoque-crossover and the manufacturer is aiming to ride on its popularity and legacy by naming this new compact crossover as the XUV100. Targeted at compact hatchback customers, the XUV100 is likely to get a cab-forward design, where the A-pillar starts just aft of the front wheel arch, which results in more interior room. It gets a longish wheelbase and its overall profile is unmistakably more of a compact crossover than an SUV.
The Mahindra XUV100 will come with an all-new set of 1.2-litre petrol and diesel engines. It will come with a bench-seat arrangement for the front row as the gear lever will positioned in the dashboard, much like the Datsun Go and the Hyundai i10. Just like the TUV300, it will get an AMT transmission as well. Sources tell us that the base XUV100 will be priced around Rs 4 lakh, which will put it right in the middle of the mass-market compact hatchback category.
Speaking to our sister magazine, Autocar Professional, Dr Pawan Goenka, executive director and president (Auto and Farm Equipment Sectors), M&M, hinted that the S101 would woo compact car buyers with its price positioning. He says, "The distinction between what we call SUV, sedan is all getting blurred. When a customer is looking to buy a car, it is not necessarily "I want to buy a hatchback, I want to buy a SUV"; it is "I want to buy a car at this price point". In that price point, the customer will look at what are the offerings available and they will straddle between a hatchback, a crossover SUV and sometimes even between a hatchback and a sedan, if a sedan comes at a price point of a hatchback. So, therefore it is more of a price-point game for majority of buyers."
The XUV100 is expected to open up an all-new customer base for Mahindra. Its recent launch, the Mahindra TUV300 despite its boxy design, has generated a good number of footfalls at company dealerships. However, it remains to be seen as to how Mahindra fares in this all-new segment with its upcoming XUV100.