Toyota Fortuner-rival Mahindra Alturas (XUV700) luxury SUV launch date revealed

Mahindra will launch the Toyota Fortuner-rivaling Alturas luxury SUV in India on the 26th of November. The luxury SUV is a mildly restyled version of the Ssangyong Rexton G4. It will wear Mahindra badges considering the low brand recall that Ssangyong has in India.

The official name of the new luxury SUV from Mahindra will be the Alturas, and this ends the months of speculation that the new vehicle would be called the XUV700. Before this, it was widely speculated last week that it would be named Inferno. We think Mahindra was probably testing the market reaction to that name! For that matter, we do not fully trust Alturas as a final name either – it was reported that Mahindra was quite taken by the curiosity generated by the Marazzo name. And Alturas could be another name being thrown into the mix to read market response. For now, let us stick with Alturas though. Our own belief is that this name would be a little tough for the Indian tongue, and Mahindra would be well advised to avoid this. Even Marazzo rolls of the tongue quite a lot easier than ‘Alturas’.

The Alturas – if the name is final – will be one of the few Mahindra vehicles to have a name that does not end with the letter O. It will be sold in G2 and G4 trims, reports ACI.

Considering that it will rival the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour, the Mahindra Alturas is expected to be priced close to the Rs. 25 lakh mark. We expect it to undercut both the Fortuner and Endeavour in order to have a clear value-advantage over two of India’s best selling luxury SUVs.

As for dimensions, the Mahindra Alturas will be large and imposing. In fact, it’s larger than the Toyota Fortuner, and measures 4,850mm in length, 1,960mm in width, 1,800mm in height and gets a wheelbase of 2,865 mm. The SUV will have a ground clearance of 224 mm. In contrast, the Fortuner measures 4,795 mm in length, 1,855 mm in width, 1835 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,745 mm.

The Mahindra Alturas will be powered by a 2.2 liter turbocharged diesel engine with 187 Bhp-420 Nm outputs. A 7 speed, Mercedes Benz-sourced torque converter automatic gearbox will be standard. Rear wheel drive and four wheel drive layouts are likely. The SUV will get a ladder frame chassis, and 3 rows of seats with capacity for 7 adults. The interiors will be minimal, classy, and quite luxurious.

In fact, the Alturas will be the most luxurious vehicle ever sold by Mahindra. From a leather wrapped dashboard and seats to infotainment panels for the back seat passengers, the SUV will offer a range of luxurious features including multiple zone climate control and rear AC vents. Safety will also be impressive with 9 airbags, ABS+EBD, traction control, ESP, hill hold and a range of other features.

The center console of this SUV will host a 10.1 inch touchscreen infotainment panel that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Mahindra will sell the Alturas through a newly set-up premium space in its dealerships to ensure good customer service.