Mahindra S101 Micro SUV to feature 1.2 liter petrol and 1.5 liter turbo diesel engines

Mahindra plans to create a brand new segment in India, dubbed the Micro SUV segment. With the S101 Micro SUV, The Indian automaker – known best for its utility vehicle range – is gunning for B-Segment hatchbacks. A sub-4 meter product, the Mahindra S101 Micro SUV will feature both petrol and turbo diesel engine options.

The petrol engine will be a brand new 1.2 liter unit sourced from Mahindra-Ssangyong’s newly developed joint crop of petrol powered engines. Petrol power is back in the reckoning given the current, low price differential between petrol and diesel fuels. By offering a petrol option on the S101 right from word go, Mahindra plans to capitalize on the changing dynamics of the compact car market in India.

The turbo diesel engine is likely to be the 1.5 liter-3 cylinder turbo turbo unit borrowed from the Quanto compact SUV. While the engine has been around for a while now, a new, lower state of tune is likely for the motor in the S101’s engine bay as the Micro SUV’s positioning and weight could make the engine’s current, 98.6 Bhp-240 Nm state of tune too hot to handle.

Expect 5 speed manual gearboxes and front wheel drive layouts to be standard on both the petrol and dieel powered variants of the S101 Micro SUV. The S101 will feature a monocoque body construction, which will give the Micro SUV a light footprint and perhaps terrific fuel efficiency, a crucial aspect in this day and age of fuel efficiency conscious car buyers.

Also, considering that the S101 will gun for B-Segment hatchback segment, where most if not all cars are extremely fuel efficient – the Micro SUV will need all the fuel efficiency it can muster. Prices of the S101 are likely to start from under the 5 lakh rupee mark and the Micro SUV will sit underneath the Quanto in terms of positioning.

Via MoneyControl