Mahindra’s compact SUV will be more POWERFUL than Brezza/Ecosport

Mahindra is working on an upcoming compact SUV that will take on the likes of the Maruti Vitara Brezza and Ford EcoSport. The automaker has shelved the plan of launching the SsangYong Tivoli due to its brand image in India and has decided to launch a new vehicle based on the Tivoli but with Mahindra brand on it. The car has been caught on test multiple times and now, new information has surfaced about the vehicle.

According to ACI, the all-new compact SUV that has been codenamed S201 will offer best-in-class performance. The S201 will be powered by engines that have been developed in-house. He also adds that the petrol engine is a 1.2-litre unit and will come with turbocharging and direct fuel injection. The 1.2-litre engine is based on the Mahindra KUV 100’s petrol engine. The mFalcon engine gets a larger turbocharger and direct injection too. The three-cylinder  turbo petrol engine will make a maximum power of around 140 Bhp.

The S201 will also take on the upcoming vehicles like Tata Nexon and the facelift Ford EcoSport. The S201 is believed to churn out more power than both of them. Interestingly, Ford will introduce the new “Dragon” series of engines in India with the new EcoSport later this year.

Mahindra is also working on a turbocharged engine without the direct injection system. Mahindra may use the same for the lower variant of the S201 and other future models from the brand.

The diesel engine will be a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine that is also based on the three-cylinder diesel engine of the KUV 100. The engine will make its debut with the U321 MPV that rivals Innova Crysta and will make debut later this year. The diesel engine is expected to produce around 125 Bhp of maximum power, which again makes it the most powerful in class.

The S201 is based on the SsangYong Tivoli. The vehicle has been modified to fit the 4-meter limit to gain tax benefits. The vehicle is expected to make an unveiling at the AutoExpo and launch by mid-2018.