The leading Utility Vehicle manufacturer in India, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has three new major launches in the pipeline, namely Reva NXR, Mini Xylo compact Sports Utility Vehicle and Ssangyong Rexton SUV. Of these three, Reva NXR and Mini Xylo will be manufactured in the country itself, whereas the Rexton will be assembled using Completely Knocked Down kits. The compact SUV, Mini Xylo happens to be the most anticipated of the three and is expected to carve a niche for itself in the Indian automotive market being a seven seater in the sub-4 metres category.
The Mini Xylo is expected to come powered with a toned down 3 cylinder mHawk turbo diesel powertrain. The motor has been built to produce more than 100 bhp of maximum power and 250 Nm of peak torque. It is expected that the new compact SUV will be bearing a starting price tag of Rs. 4.5-5.5 lacs, which gives it an aggressively competitive stance.
Next up on the list is the much awaited electric car, Reva NXR, which has been delayed due to the impending announcement of the National Electric Mobility Mission 2012. This new policy will bring down the price of Reva NXR by Rs. 1 lac and allow the car maker to price it competitively in the market. However, this 4-seater electric hatchback is expected to make its debut in the month of September 2012. It is expected that the new car will come powered either with a lead-acid battery with a top speed of 80 kmph and a range of 80 km or lithium ion battery with 104 kmph top speed and 160 km range. It is expected that the next generation Reva will be priced in the range of Rs. 4-5 lacs, which may make it popular among Indian buyers.
Last but not the least, the 2012 Ssangyong Rexton SUV will be the first product to be offered in India by South Korean car maker, Ssangyong, which has been bought by M&M. The Busan Motor Show 2012 witnessed the unveiling of the facelifted Rexton; however, chances are less that it will hit the Indian shores since the car maker has been testing the regular variant in the country since some time. The new car will be positioned above the XUV500 and will be competing against the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Chevrolet Captiva and Ford Endeavour in its respective segment.
Under the hood, the new SUV will come packed with cutting-edge technologies like catalysed diesel particulate filter and variable Geometric Turbine (VGT) turbocharger to reduce carbon emission. Besides these, the Ssangyong Rexton will feature a tire pressure monitoring system, enhanced parking brake technology, forward collision warning and avoidance system. Rexton will be driven by a 4-Wheel Drive (4WD) chassis with disc brakes on all four wheels. The car maker is in the process of setting up an assembly unit for the all new Rexton in Chakan, Pune. Localising of the assembly process would ensure that the new model would be priced competitively in the range of Rs. 18-21 lacs, allowing the car maker to achieve the targeted monthly sales volume of 500-600 units. Considering the range of new launches scheduled for the festive season this year, the automotive industry in India will surely be celebrating on a grand scale.
