Mahindra is all set to introduce the long-awaited S201 compact SUV in the Indian market in the coming months. The SUV, as reported by us earlier will take on stalwarts like the Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and the Tata Nexon.
It has been reported earlier that the S201 will share its underpinnings, body panels and other mechanical bits with the slightly larger SsangYong Tivoli SUV. While there have been many spy shots on the internet of the SUV in various stages of testing, a first set of photographs have surfaced online that show the model’s interior and other bits, giving us a hint of what the production version could look like.
The Mahindra S201 SUV, as seen from these spy shots, will get a dashboard that is very similar to the Tivoli’s. Mahindra has, however, made subtle changes. First up, the dashboard seems to be clearly divided in a dual-tone paint scheme, with the bottom-half in beige and the top-half in black. A subtle faux-aluminium panel sits between the top and the bottom of the dashboard, dividing it into two halves. The steering wheel is the same as the Tivoli’s, with mounted controls for audio and Bluetooth. The instrument cluster features two large dials and a decently sized multi-info display at the centre. While the fonts of the dials are similar to that of the Tivoli, the overall console lacks silver finish.
A 7.0-inch touchscreen sits right at the centre and is expected to include features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and will also function as the display for the reverse camera. Mahindra is also expected to offer satnav on the S201 SUV. Two vertical HVAC vents are positioned on either side of the infotainment screen. Moving further down, the centre console features a piano-black-finished layout consisting of multiple buttons for the air con and defogger. An important thing to note is that the S201 will offer dual-zone climate control, which could be a segment-first feature. It will also feature dual USB ports, along with an AUX input jack and a 12V socket.
Unlike the Tivoli, the S201 will not come with any off-road gear as such. The SUV is also likely to feature similar seats and door pads. And, as far as safety goes, expect Mahindra to offer as many as seven airbags on at least the top-spec variant of this new compact SUV.
Under the hood, the S201 will feature a 1.5-litre diesel mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. There are talks that this new model could be christened Mahindra XUV300 so that the company could cash in on the brand’s great recall value, thanks to the larger and popular XUV500 which also features a monocoque construction.
Mahindra is likely to launch the S201 compact SUV along with the U321 MPV in the coming months.
Also see:
Three new models to lead Mahindra's UV market resurgence
Mahindra S201 SUV: What we know so far
Mahindra TUV300 Plus launched at Rs 9.69 lakh