The Mahindra NuvoSport has been launched in India for Rs 7.42 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It is the Mumbai-based automaker’s second entry into the sub four-metre SUV segment after the TUV300 that was launched in 2015. Its launch has brought about an interesting development, it indicates at what direction Mahindra will take with the next generation Xylo.
The NuvoSport’s predecessor was the Quanto which was derived from the Xylo MPV. If we are to go by this philosophy then the NuvoSport gives us an idea of what the next Xylo will be like. For starters it is expected to retain the same panels and doors but will get an extended rear overhang to accommodate a proper third row. Mahindra will revise the face and give it a new name just like it has done with the Nuvosport.
To undergo this kind of development, the next gen Xylo will move to the modular platform underpinning the TUV300, Scorpio and now the NuvoSport. This, in an obvious sense, will give Mahindra the flexibility to work with the body.
The new Xylo is expected to move from its current MPV form to a crossover like design and have SUV inclinations in terms of appearance. This move is no doubt being guided by the increase in demand for crossovers and consequent decline in demand for MPVs.
However, they are unlikely to discontinue the older vehicle as it is currently very popular among fleet operators and taxi drivers.
