At Mahindra & Mahindra's stall in the ongoing Auto Expo 2018, the star undoubtedly is the Stinger convertible SUV concept. Interestingly, the utility vehicle specialist of India has also brought its new flagship SUV to the show which is yet to get a name.
The new seven-seater full-size SUV will go up against the likes of Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour once it is launched in India. The Mahindra SUV is not completely new as it is based on the new generation Rexton SUV from Mahindra's South Korean subsidiary SsangYong.
The new Mahindra SUV is essentially a rebadged Rexton and the grille has been tweaked in line with Mahindra's design language. In addition, the company has worked on the suspension, ride height and handling package of the new SUV to make it better suited for Indian road conditions.
Multiple reports prior to the unveiling at Auto Expo 2018 had claimed that it will be called Mahindra Rexton or XUV700. Mahindra officials have confirmed to International Business Times, India that neither Rexton nor XUV700 will be the name for the new SUV. Rexton is a name reserved for SsangYong brand while Mahindra wants a clear distinction between the new SUV and the XUV500. Hence, the new SUV is set to get a new alphanumeric name.
The Mahindra SUV boasts a thick and angular bumper with newly designed headlamps and black body cladding. The prominent character lines and thick C-pillars stands out on the exterior. It also gets a dual-tone dashboard with black and brown finish. Premium features like 9.2-inch HD touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 360-degree camera, a 7.0-inch LCD instrument cluster, cooled seats, Nappa leather upholstery and a smart tailgate are expected in the SUV.
The new Mahindra SUV will be powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine with rated outputs of 187hp and 420Nm, mated to a seven-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox sourced from Mercedes-Benz.
