A few days ago, we broke the news about Mahindra working on a longer TUV for our market. Now, thanks to another set of spy shots, we can expect the long-wheelbase TUV to come with a larger 1.99- litre engine as opposed to the 1.5-litre three cylinder unit seen on the “smaller” TUV300.
The Mahindra mHawk 1.99-litre engine is a downsized version of the larger 2.2-litre mHawk motor that powers the Scorpio, Xylo and the XUV500.
One of the main reasons for downsizing is for Mahindra to be able to sell the models in Delhi-NCR where there was a ban issued on the sale of diesel vehicles above 2,000cc.
This 1.99-litre engine is currently available only on the XUV500 and the Scorpio that's on sale in Delhi-NCR. The decrease in engine capacity has been achieved by reducing the stroke of the engine. It now develops 142hp as opposed to 140hp in the XUV500, and122hp as opposed to 120hp in the Scorpio. However, we predict that the TUV long wheelbase will most likely come with the 120hp version. In comparison, The TUV300’s top-spec trim comes with a 1.5-litre mHawk 100 engine.
The extended TUV’s highlight is likely to be a forward-facing third row of seats. Company sources have hinted that with this SUV, based on the new-generation platform, Mahindra hopes to eat into the sizable Ertiga segment by providing the appeal of an SUV with the practicality and comfort offered on current MPVs.
The long-wheelbase TUV is still in the early stages of testing. Watch this space for more news on the new Mahindra.