Mahindra S101 Spotted! Here Is What Could Be Expected Of It

Mahindra is on a spree of vehicle launches this year and has managed to launch four vehicles so far—the facelift Thar CRDe, XUV 500, the all new TUV 300 and the Jeeto commercial vehicle.

The company, being India's largest utility vehicle manufacturer is also feeling the pinch of the fast growing economy that is adapting to newer vehicles that will cope with city conditions. Keeping this in mind, Mahindra came up with the TUV300, a compact SUV that suits well for the city dwellers.

So what if people are looking for something other than an SUV? Say for example something like a hatchback with good ground clearance and a petrol engine? Or a vehicle that can be used in the city as well as on a getaway, but not an SUV?

Mahindra is answering exactly that need with its upcoming vehicle code named the S101. Many spy shots have emerged of the vehicle being tested in India and the latest is when Sudeep Ranjan Mishra, an avid reader of DriveSpark and a very good friend spotted the S101 being tested in Chennai.

For one, the vehicle looks bigger than an average hatch—it has a tall stance. That is what carmakers are doing since demand is such. Customers are looking for a small vehicle that can be used in the city for everyday commuting as well as for occasional getaways.

Taking this in mind, Mahindra has designed the S101, which could probably based on the same chassis platform of the TUV300 or on a whole new platform altogether. It may have a monocoque chassis too.

Power will come from a choice of either a diesel engine or an all new petrol engine designed in house by Mahindra itself. The TUV300s engine could find itself under the hood of the S101. There is even a possibility of the AMT gearbox that could be offered which will make driving easier in the city.

The S101 could just fill an empty gap that Mahindra lacks with its lineup and bring it in Maruti Suzuki's territory and also Renaults since the Kwid's launch is just around the corner.

One thing we can be sure about is that the S101 can make a huge difference for Mahindra if it is equipped with a good, punchy fuel efficient petrol engine which is also reliable.