Mahindra S201 (Maruti Brezza-rival) official name announcement today: Things we know so far

Mahindra S201 is a highly anticipated upcoming car in the Indian market. The sub-4-meter compact SUV would be Mahindra’s fourth model in the segment after the Quanto, NuvoSport and TUV 300. The all-new vehicle will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Ford EcoSport. The vehicle will soon launch in the Indian market and here are all the details that you need to know.

Check our CarToq’s Mahindra S201 Live Blog here! for latest updates

Will be known as Mahindra XUV 300

Mahindra has codenamed the upcoming vehicle as S201. Even though the official name announcement will happen soon, according to ACI, the S201 will be called the XUV 300. The XUV 300 has been one of the most speculated names for the upcoming car. We will confirm the official name as soon as it gets announced today.

Interiors revealed

Mahindra has been testing the S201 for a long time now with extremely heavy camouflage. Even the interiors have remained under the camouflage until now. This is the first image that completely reveals the interiors of the upcoming car. It gets a dual-tone dashboard with a touchscreen infotainment system mounted in the middle. The controls are similar to the one we see in the Mahindra XUV 500. The steering wheel is also similarly designed like the XUV 500. The picture also reveals the amount of space between the front two seats and the cubby holes. There is also an armrest with storage under it.

Most powerful in the segment

The S201 would become the most powerful sub-4-meter SUV when launched. It is highly unlikely that Mahindra would announce the specifications with the announcement of the name but the all-new S201 would be powered by an all-new G80 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that generates around 125 Bhp and 170 Nm, making it the most powerful in the segment. The Ford EcoSport EcoBoost produces a maximum of 123 Bhp, which is slightly less than the S201. Even the diesel engine would be the same as the Mahindra Marazzo. The 1.5-litre unit produces a maximum of 121 Bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque. It can be de-tuned for the S201 but will remain the most powerful.

Launch in early 2019

Mahindra has not officially announced the launch date of the S201 but after officially revealing the name, the bookings are expected to be open. The spy pictures show that the vehicle is production-ready. It hints at an early 2019 launch. Mahindra may launch the vehicle in January 2019 itself but nothing official has been said on the launch date.

A SsangYong underneath

Even though the all-new S201 is all about Mahindra and gets the Mahindra branding all over, it is a SsangYong Tivoli underneath. Mahindra decided to launch the rebadged version of the SsangYong products due to the low brand-awareness of SsangYong in the Indian market. However, the S201 is not just a rebadge job. It looks quite different and also gets different dimensions. The platform remains the same.

To get a premium positioning

Mahindra is expected to position the S201 as a premium product in the Indian market. It means that the S201 may carry a higher price tag than the competition. The base model of the S201 can be positioned in the same price bracket as the Maruti Vitara Brezza in the Indian market. This will allow Mahindra to load the car with luxury features even in the base model. The price segment of the S201 would also rival the Hyundai Creta.

Will get a bigger sibling

Internationally, a long wheelbase version of SsangYong Tivoli is also available with extra space of luggage. However, in India, the long wheelbase version would be launched with an extra row of seats instead. The LWB version has been spotted testing with the regular version of the S201 and it is expected to be launched by the end of 2019.

Soft-road SUV, no 4WD

Just like any other SUV in the segment, the S201 would come with a front-wheel-drive set-up. It gets a monocoque chassis and FWD set-up only. There are no plans to launch the AWD version of the car anytime in the future too. All other cars in the segment including the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport are all FWD vehicles except for the TUV 300, which is an RWD set-up.

Gets loaded exteriors

The spy pictures reveal dual-tone 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels of the Mahindra S201 and LED projector headlamps with DRLs. The diamond-cut alloy wheels look very classy. There is no doubt in the fact that the S201 would come loaded to the brim and with a thick brochure. The alloy wheels and the projector headlamps is the only tip of the iceberg.

First-in-segment features

Mahindra would also offer a premium quality cabin with first-in-segment features. The feature list will include dual-zone climate control, disc brakes on all four wheels, 7-airbags, premium leather seats, cruise control, touchscreen infotainment system and even a sunroof on the top-spec models.