Mahindra XUV300 7-Seater (S204) spotted testing for the first time

Ever since Mahindra launched the XUV300 in India, reports of a larger 7-seater version of the sub-4 meter SUV being developed have been doing rounds. Recently, we told you that the 7 seat Mahindra XUV300 has been confirmed and that it will get a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. Now, a few spy shots of the upcoming 7-seater XUV300 have surfaced, courtesy Car&Bike, which show how the vehicle might turn out to be. To let you know, this vehicle has been codenamed S204 and is likely to be based on the SsangYong XLV. The latter is the bigger version of the Tivoli which is the car on which the XUV300 is based.

According to Car&Bike, this test mule is the Mahindra S204 and it was spotted testing on the outskirts of Chennai. The S204 will directly rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos and will be positioned as a compact SUV in between the XUV300 and XUV500. It is likely to get a 1.5-litre 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that will be introduced on the Marazzo in the coming time. Also on offer could be the 1.5-litre 4 cylinders turbocharged diesel engine which is found on the XUV300 and the Marazzo. On the XUV300, this engine pumps out 115 Bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque, though it will be tuned for more power if used on the S201.

Since the S201 is most likely to be based on the SsangYong XLV, let’s do some dimensions talk here. The XLV measures 4,440mm in length, 1,798mm in width and 1,635mm in height. The vehicle has a wheelbase of 2,600 mm and a boot space of 720 litres. While the wheelbase of the XLV is the same as the XUV300 and the Tivoli, the huge trunk space can be utilised for third-row seats in the S204.

Mahindra will also launch the S204 compact SUV in the European markets. This is scheduled to happen in 2022 and hence, expect the Indian launch to happen by the end of 2020 or in 2021. Going by the spy shots here, the vehicle features a familiar Mahindra design all around. The test mule is heavily camouflaged but certain design elements like the front grille and body silhouette.

Mahindra will also launch the next-gen XUV500 SUV next year that will strengthen the automaker’s position in the mid-size SUV segment. The arrival of S204 will further help Mahindra to capture the affordable SUV segments of India. When launched, the S204 will directly challenge the likes of the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and the Nissan Kicks among others. The Hyundai Creta will also get a next-gen model in 2020 and hence the competition will only get hotter in the coming time.