India’s leading SUV maker, Mahindra & Mahindra is planning to launch three compact SUVs in India in the coming two years. The company has been reigning UV segment for long, however launch of new age SUVs like Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster did give some jolt to its conventional looking SUVs. Yet M&M continues to take lead in SUV segment, but it should also be taken into consideration that the company's market share in the SUV segment has dropped to 42 per cent from 48 percent last year, which is alarming.
Hence M&M is planning to come up with three new compact SUVs for the domestic market to recoup its hold in monthly sales. One of the three SUVs slated to be launched from M&M is facelift version of Quanto. Launched in India few years ago, the sub-four meter SUV could not garner desired response from the customers. Quanto’s facelift is expected to receive copious changes in terms of styling and additional features. The facelift version of Quanto is being worked under the codename U215 and is expected to be positioned between sub-compact SUV S101 and the next generation Bolero.
The other compact SUV that Mahindra is developing for Indian market is S101 (codename). Being developed from scratch, S101 will be a sub-four meter will underpin the monocoque platform. The vehicle has been snapped couple of times doing test runs in India. Speculations suggest that M&M could launch S101 in domestic market around same time next year. Expected to be offered in both petrol and diesel guise, the petrol variants could house a 1.2 litre, three cylinder engine. Diesel variants on the other hand are likely to employ a 1.5 litre diesel powertrain.
Besides these two, M&M is also working on the overhauled version of its popular UV, Bolero. Next generation is also being developed under the codename U301, of we go by media reports, M&M could retain the current version and sell it along the new gen model. Sources close to the development reveal that M&M could offer new Bolero in two body styles, a sub-compact variant and a seven-seater variant.
