Mahindra Mini Xylo to see a pre-Diwali launch!

Mahindra has announced that the mini Xylo will be launched in the second-half of 2012 before Diwali festive season in November.

“The mini Xylo will be launched before Diwali and will be manufactured at same plant alongside the Xylo and the Scorpio,” Arun Malhotra, Sr. Vice President, Sales & Customer Care, Mahindra, told CarToq. The mini Xylo is undergoing testing and the delay in launch is because further refinement is needed.

The mini Xylo is a much awaited car as it will be a sub-four meter car and will qualify for the government’s small car definitions. Hence the price of the mini Xylo is expected to be in the range of Rs. 4 lakh – 6 lakh.

Looks, space and comfort

The mini Xylo is a 5-seater SUV, with the complete boot section of the present Xylo removed. Overall it looks similar to the Premier Rio in terms of size. The mini Xylo however is shorter than the Xylo and seems to run on 14-inch wheels.

In profile, the area up to the C-pillar is identical to the present Xylo, which means this is going to be a very spacious vehicle, as the front and rear seat legroom will be the same as the present Xylo – and that’s very spacious. The area behind the rear seat has two small quarter glasses and the boot space is comparable to a large hatchback.

At the rear, there appears to be some modification to the tail-lamp design and the reverse lamps are integrated into the bumper. The spare wheel has been moved to the boot door, as there isn’t enough space under the vehicle, after shortening the length.

Expected Performance

The mini Xylo is expected to be powered by a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder diesel motor. Expect the mileage of the mini Xylo to be close to 18 kmpl on highways, which is impressive and at par with diesel hatchbacks. Mahindra will gauge the market response first by launching the 4×2 and if demand arises, it may then think of launching the 4×4 version.

Expected Features

Expect the mini Xylo to come with safety features such as dual airbags and ABS. Comfort features may include AC, power steering, power windows and music system with USB and aux-in ports.

Expected Price

The mini Xylo is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 4 lakh – Rs. 6 lakh. The mini Xylo will likely attract buyers of premium hatchbacks in the same price range.

Conclusion

Car makers are headed for compact SUV market and by the end of this year we will definitely have three SUVs; the Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster and the mini Xylo in the market. The mini Xylo has an edge over the EcoSport and Duster for it is a sub-four meter car and thus qualifies for excise duty sops.

The mini-Xylo may face a mild threat from Premier Rio which is now available with Fiat sourced 1.3-litre diesel motor. However, the mini Xylo may have to also compete with premium hatchbacks. For this, the mini Xylo will have to come with premium looking interiors with impressive feature list, good ride quality, good handling and fuel-efficient engine. Do you think, a small SUV like mini Xylo is a better buy than a premium hatchback?