Mahindra is busy testing their all-new MPV for the Indian market. CarWale reader Ramesh Sethuraman spotted the car in Chennai donning production-ready headlamps. Internally called the U321, the MPV seems to be nearing its launch now which is expected in the coming months.
The headlamp units are newly designed akin to the new Mahindra Imperio pick-up. The cladding fails to hide the Mahindra’s characteristic sabre-tooth grille. A projector unit is visible under the cladding along with a strip of LED daytime running lights on the front bumper. The large-tail lamps are akin to the brethren, XUV500 and get some LED inserts as well. The MPV was riding on five-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Apollo tyres.
Although there are now images of the interior available at the moment, the cabin is expected to take cues from Mahindra’s flagship, the XUV500. There are black-dashboard with piano-black inserts. The touchscreen control, steering wheel and the centre console will all be scrounged from the XUV. Expect Mahindra to offer multiple climate control with rear AC vents in the MPV.
Powering the U321 will be an all-new 1.6-litre mFalcon diesel motor. The engine will be introduced in other models as well in the years to come. There will be a six-speed manual transmission as a standard fitment but we expect Mahindra to offer an automatic as well. It will be a monocoque body instead of the traditional ladder-on-frame layout.
Upon launch, the U321 will go up against the Toyota Innova Crysta which is currently the segment leader, apart from Tata Hexa and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Stay tuned to CarWale for all the development on Mahindra’s much-anticipated MPV.
