Mahindra’s 7 most exciting Auto Expo concepts: From Thar Wanderlust to XUV500 Aero!

The Mahindra pavilion at the Auto Expo always attracted people with some enticing concepts in every edition. This year too, the brand had a few concepts that became the talk of many enthusiastic groups. What are the most attractive concepts showcased by Mahindra in the recent past? Let’s have a look at them.

Mahindra KUV Xtreme

Mahindra KUV is tagged as a micro-SUV by the manufacturer. The brutish looks of the vehicle add a very masculine stance to the entry-level vehicle. At the Auto Expo, Mahindra showcased the Xtreme version of the KUV with an aggressive body kit and it did catch a lot of eyes. The widebody kit included flared wheel arches, black plastic cladding and rear diffuser. It also got wider tracks with off-road tyres and rims.

The rear bumper gets silver insert while the tail lamps receive new, more rugged housing. There is also twin exhaust coming out of the vehicle. The car gets a matte orange paint job with contrasting roof and Xtreme moniker that announces the name of the special edition. The engine has been left untouched in this one.

Mahindra Thar Wanderlust

Mahindra Thar is a highly customisable vehicle and there are many examples of it on the Indian roads. Mahindra itself ensures that at least one concept model in its pavilion is based on the Thar. This year, it was the Wanderlust. The car has been customised in-house and it looks absolutely bonkers. The headlamps get all-new projector lamps with DRLs while the bumpers have been updated to off-road spec ones. The external tow hooks and power winch are also placed on the bumper itself.

It also gets a massive hood scoop and a snorkel adding some muscles to it while the guide lamps on the roof give it a sporty appeal. Mahindra has added a hard top to the vehicle and there are four front-facing captain seats inside. The rear windows open like a gullwing and look really cool.

Mahindra TUV Stinger

SUV convertibles are a rare breed to find and this one belongs from the same lineage. Mahindra showcased the TUV Stinger concept at the Auto Expo and it did grab some attention. It is based on the TUV 300 sub 4-meter SUV but it has been heavily modified. The body design of the TUV is quite evident in the convertible but the body design is a lot more powerful than the TUV. It gets power bulges and stronger body lines.

Mahindra has also put the more powerful 2.2-litre mHawk engine in the vehicle that develops a maximum of 140 Bhp and 320 Nm. If it ever makes to the production line, it will carry the cheapest price tag among all the convertibles. That is what makes it pretty attractive to the crowd.

Mahindra Halo

This one is quite old but some of you may remember this. Mahindra showcased this two-door sports car at the 2014 Auto Expo. This is an electric sports car that is based on the Mahindra Reva E2O but is much more advanced than the electric hatchback. The Halo was introduced within the initial days of Mahindra’s entry into the Formula E racing and it really raised the hopes of enthusiasts. The low-slung two-seater sports car could do 0-100 km/h in 8 seconds and could reach a top speed of 160 km/h. Sadly, the production version never came out.

Mahindra Daybreak

This one is the only model in this whole list that you can buy at the moment. Mahindra showcased the Daybreak concept based on the Thar at the Auto Expo 2016 and later launched it at a price of Rs. 19 lakh (inclusive the cost of new Thar). It is modified by Mahindra’s in-house customisation division.

The Thar Daybreak gets massive 37-inch Maxxis tyres on the steel rims, custom fenders, custom bumpers, a custom built hood, a winch, a snorkel, a farm jack, roll cage, LED projector headlamps and LED tail lamps. The car also gets a new door design, re-routed exhaust system with customised wing mirrors. The roof also gets guide lamps. To add more off-road capability, the car also gets differential locks and tweaked suspension.

Mahindra E2O Sport

Mahindra E2O electric vehicle also got a sporty concept variant that was showcased at the Auto Expo 2016. The car had a wide body kit with new race-car inspired bumpers and body graphics. The E2O Sport also featured a 107 Bhp electric engine running on lithium-ion batteries. It had a 0-100 km/h timing of 8 seconds and could survive for 200 km on a single charge. The electric cars never picked up the pace in India and the same happened with the E2O Sport.

Mahindra Aero

Before the SUV convertible showcased this year, Mahindra had showcased an SUV Coupeatn the last Auto Expo. The three-door asymmetrical SUV had a lot of curious lookers and it did look quite good. Last year, Mahindra said that the XUV Aero has received a green light and it could be on the Indian roads soon. However, there are still doubts over the powertrain of the vehicle. Some rumours suggest that the vehicle can be fully electric while others suggest that it can be powered by a 2.2-litre mHawk turbo-diesel engine. Please note that there has not been any official confirmation from the brand about the engine yet.