3Tracks, 3Lap Records in an RS Q8
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INDIA INDIA www.autocarindia.com SUBSCRIPTION COPY Rs 200 MAY 2021 MAY INDIA . Total pages 206 + 16-page Mahindra Thar supplement VOL.22 NO.9 O May 2021 261 VOLUME 22 VOLUME MAHINDRA REBORN How the brand is reinventing itself with new leadership, new products and a sharper focus | No 9 NEW MAHINDRA SCORPIO Cover Story Story Cover New Mahindra SUVs SUVs Mahindra New IMAGES SALES ANALYSIS | First Drive Drive First ISSN 2250-222X BOUNCING MAHINDRA NEW BACK FROM A XU V900 MAHINDRA COUPE XUV700 TOUGH YEAR Hyundai Alcazar Prototype Prototype Hyundai Alcazar RECORD RUN GREEN 2 GREEN DRIVE | Drive Drive New Porsche 911 GT3 Porsche New 3 tracks, 3 lap records in an RS Q8 Nexon EV on a silent ...and a 3,500km road trip in between safari in Satpura PLUS HYUNDAI ALCAZAR PROTOTYPE NEW BMW 6 SERIES GT NEW PORSCHE 911 GT3 KAWASAKI ZX10R NEWS NEWS TO SHARE? XUV700 Call: 022-23787500 Email: [email protected] IMAGE TheEXCLUSIVE Future of Mahindra Q 12 new models in the next five years Q SUV-only model range Q Marazzo, KUV100 to be phased out QFocus on EVs ometimes, all it takes SUVs,” says Rajesh Jejurikar, when investment can be already been made in key leap ahead of what is presently is one big hit to tell the executive director, Auto and more effectively deployed capital-intensive areas like available. This all-new E/E world you’re still in Farm Sectors. And this is on bread-and-butter product powertrains and an all-new system, developed by Visteon, Sthe game, and more exactly what the company lines and future technologies. electronic (E/E) architecture. will allow future Mahindras to importantly, that you have plans to do going forward. EVs will play a big role in the Armed with new, state-of- have the latest infotainment the power to win it. That In fact, under the new company’s future product the-art mStallion petrol and systems, 360-degree moment of rejuvenation for management of Dr Anish strategy and around 25 mHawk diesel families, which cameras, a suite of connected Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Shah, the new MD and CEO percent of the total capital are package-protected to features and even Advanced came with the all-new Thar. It of the Mahindra Group, and expenditure for product meet future norms, Mahindra Driver Assistance Systems was a massive hit from the Jejurikar, the promise is to development and expansion doesn’t have to invest in (ADAS), which might become get-go – it won the 2021 focus on nothing other than will be earmarked for EVs. engine technology for the next mandatory with the next stage Autocar Car of the Year Award SUVs that deliver a strong five years. And with engine of safety regulations. and, with more than 50,000 emotional connect. INVESTING capacities ranging from 1.2 Still, money is tight, which bookings and counting, the While the old guard led SMARTLY to 2.2 litres, Mahindra has all is why Mahindra is only Thar marks a return to form by Dr Pawan Goenka was Mahindra’s capital allocation its future IC-engine-powered spending it where it thinks it for Mahindra, which until now striving to expand Mahindra’s for SUVs and tractors products covered. can win. This means pulling was sputtering along with a horizons by entering the MPV, together is Rs 9,000 crore No investment will be the plug on non-performing product portfolio that wasn’t micro-SUV, and other niche for the next three years, with needed for infotainment product lines, like the Marazzo quite firing on all cylinders. segments, the focus now is an additional Rs 3,000 crore and electronic systems and KUV100. The Marazzo, The success of the Thar clearly back on full-blown investment for EVs. That’s either. Mahindra has already though a very good product, reinforces a new direction SUVs. The thinking is that substantially less than the developed its next-generation fell prey, like many other good the company has embarked there’s no point in wasting previous three-year period ‘Smart Core’ system, which MPVs, to the pincer attack by on. “It’s all about focusing on precious resources chasing investment of Rs 15,000 will make its debut in the the Ertiga and Innova, which, our DNA, which is authentic difficult-to-crack segments crore, but investments have XUV700 and will be a quantum sitting at opposite ends, have 14 AUTOCARINDIA.COM MAY 2021 MAY 2021 AUTOCARINDIA.COM 15 NEXTGEN Design and styling has been a fundamental weakness SCORPIO at Mahindra, and company sources say that Jejurikar’s top priority is to enhance and build the company’s design capability to another level, to give the Mahindra brand a distinct identity. In fact, in an internal note to company employees, Jejurikar said the “company will invest in design to be future ready.” Again, the company is aggressively scouting for the best talent and there’s even talk of a COMPUTER-GENERATED ILLUSTRATION BY POTDAR DESIGN POTDAR BY ILLUSTRATION COMPUTER-GENERATED Mahindra Design Studio being set up in Europe to tap into an ecosystem of global design talent. The future looks very bright for Mahindra, just IMAGE looking at the pipeline of new products planned over the next five years, and as Jejurikar says, “The Thar is XUV900 only the beginning.” XUV700 (W601 ) Kicking off the long list of SUVs will be the high-on-space and high-on-tech, three-row XUV700. Also on the cards is a lower-priced, 5-seat variant. Pitted against the MG Hector Plus and Tata Safari, the XUV700 promises to obliterate its rivals spec for spec. Top variants will have best-in-class features, and the standout item is the very Merc-like fully digital, twin-panel infotainment and IMAGE instrumentation display. The XUV700 will be powered by the same 2.0-litre cornered the MPV market. As fazed by this setback and feels supply chain and production leadership is nothing less mStallion turbo-petrol as the far as the KUV100 goes, it’s that, since investments in the issues. Mahindra didn’t than fired up, and is wasting Thar, but the big surprise is in a segment that’s way out of engine and E/E architecture manage the transition to no time to claw back lost that power has been bumped Mahindra’s comfort zone. are already done, developing BS6 as smoothly as most ground. A company insider up to a whopping 200hp, Mahindra also no longer the S301 grounds-up “won’t other automakers and says, “There’s a new energy which will make it the most has the luxury of sharing cost more than Rs 1,200 was more impacted by the sweeping through the powerful SUV in its class. The development costs and the crore,” according to a source. semiconductor shortage company, the likes of which 2.2 diesel has been bumped benefits of scale with Ford, But there are other issue. As a result of all these we’ve not seen for decades.” up to 185hp, and both will after the planned JV fell challenges too. The change challenges, its sales and Jejurikar’s first task at hand is come with 6-speed manual through. This means Mahindra in leadership couldn’t have market share fell drastically, to build a strong team, and this and automatic gearboxes. won’t have access to Ford’s come at a more difficult and the company had to sit means further empowering Built on a brand-new, B772 platform, which was to time for Mahindra. The last back and watch traditional a handful of trusted, existing lightweight monocoque, it’s be the base for the next-gen year has been a particularly rivals like Tata Motors senior executives and bringing believed to be around 150kg XUV500 (S301). With a length difficult one for the company, surge ahead. in fresh people too. Jejurikar is lighter than the outgoing of around 4.3 to 4.4 metres, fundamentally because of However, the new on the hunt for the best global XUV500. With an extremely the S301 will be smaller than talent to fill in key positions. A favourable power-to-weight the outgoing XUV500 and company source quips, “The ratio, the company is even positioned as a Creta fighter, c HR department is the busiest targeting a sub-10sec but Mahindra would have to in the company these days.” 0-100kph sprint time for the source another platform to Building strong design and styling Already on board is Dr Uli petrol version. The XUV700 underpin this grounds-up Stuhec, formerly of Ford and is also believed to be coming new model, and that takes capability is a top priority. an industry veteran, brought with ADAS driver aids, time and money. However, in to kick-start Mahindra’s which will include Level 2 the company doesn’t seem d Born Electric programme. autonomous driving. ◊ 14 AUTOCARINDIA.COM MAY 2021 MAY 2021 AUTOCARINDIA.COM 15 CAUGHT ON CAMERA IMAGE Four-door Thar to expand customer base and bring in family-oriented adventure seekers. planted look but improves While the TUV didn’t garner for SUVs that are different, the dynamics, which is a much attention, Mahindra is what we hear is that the Aero weakness with the current hoping the Bolero badge will will see the light of day as the version. What also stands spin its magic. XUV900. Built on the same TUV300 gets Bolero Neo name and styling updates. out is a more attractive and platform as the XUV700, it cleaner nose, with Mahindra’s BOLERO UPGRADE likely won’t get the pillarless new three-dimensional grille This is likely to be the last cabin that was showcased, sitting between a pair of LED- upgrade for the Bolero in equipped lamps.