The Mahindra U321 MPV has been spied up close by
“IAB fan & obsessionist” Sowmya Chennai, close to where Mahindra’s vehicle
development centre – Mahindra Research Valley – is located. The Innova rival is reported to launch in India in the middle of FY
2017-2018.
Instead of following the trend of
beefing the exterior to stand out as a crossover, which seems to be the fad
these days, the Mahindra U321 appears to be a conventional MPV. It has the
characteristic Mahindra toothed grille, bulbous headlamps with projector lens,
and what seems to be a split radiator grille. The rear-end slightly slopes to
the front and features wraparound taillamps, and large windscreen with rear
wiper.
While the Innova is based on a ladder-frame
platform, the Mahindra U321 is reported to be based on a monocoque platform.
This is expected to make it lighter and more composed than the Innova. It is
reported to be riding on an all-new platform developed by the Mahindra North
American Technical Center (MNATC) in Troy, Michigan.
Reports suggest that one of the multiple engine
options for U321 is an all-new 1.5L diesel engine co-developed with Ssangyong,
while others proclaim that the 1.9L and 2.2L mHawk motors from the Scorpio have
found a place in the U321. A petrol option is also likely, given that Mahindra
has plans of exporting the U321.