Mahindra S101 spotted testing in Chennai again

The Mahindra S101 has been spotted undergoing trials once again. It seems that Mahindra is working overtime to improve this compact SUV, as every time it is caught on camera, we can see minor improvements. Previous sightings of the car had shown absence of body panels, though this time, the car seemed to be in the advanced stages of development. 

The spy shots show the S101 wearing production-spec body panels as well as headlamps and bumpers. Previous images had shown that the S101’s front will be inspired by the bigger XUV500 SUV and will be equipped with daytime running lights LED. Inside, the gearbox will be mounted on the dashboard, allowing the front passenger seat to be wider than usual. 

The Mahindra S101 is based on Ssangyong's XLV (eXciting Lifestyle Vehicle) concept which was unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, last month. The production model of the S101 will be jointly developed by Mahindra and Ssangyong. It will be a compact sub-four metre compact SUV, which will slot in between Scorpio and the Quanto, which might just be phased out in favour of a compact Bolero version.

The S101 will be powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder diesel engine, which produces 100bhp and 240Nm of torque. Besides this diesel mill, it will also get a new petrol engine, which is also being developed in collaboration with Ssangyong. The much talked about automated manual transmission (AMT) might also be offered as an option. 

The S101 will also be sold in other global markets badged as Ssangyong while in India, it will be branded as Mahindra. The S101 will be launched here sometime in 2015 and Mahindra has abundant time to fine tune the S101 according to Indian requirements. Despite being the only seven-seater compact SUV and having a very competitive price tag, the Quanto failed to capture the Indian buyer’s imagination. The S101 will definitely be superior in terms of quality and refinement and we expect it to give a tough competition to the other SUVs like the Ford EcoSport and the Renault Duster.

Image Source: Team-Bhp