AutoX has uploaded a new spyshot of the Mahindra
TUV300 XL (Mahindra TUV500) on the highway en route to Belgaum, Karnataka. The
long wheelbase TUV is expected in the market by April 2018. What can only be
termed as a fierce product action plan, Mahindra have lined up facelifts for
the XUV500, Scorpio and the KUV100, the all-new Mahindra U321 MPV, and is also
seen testing the next-gen Mahindra Pik-up (Scorpio Getaway) for a rollout this
fiscal year.
The Mahindra TUV500 (name unconfirmed) test mule has
been spied up close in Pondicherry by Motoroids reader Mr.Naveenkumar. The
stretched TUV300 could grace dealer showrooms in India this fiscal year, but a
specific launch timeframe isn’t announced.
To be positioned below the monocoque U321 7-seat
MPV, the Mahindra TUV500 will play the role of a rugged and tough SUV with 7
seats. In place of the jump seats in the third row of the TUV300, the TUV500
will feature regular front-facing seats that can fold down to liberate extra
storage volume. Like the Bolero, commercial or fleet owners could find the
TUV500 ideal for its space and price.
The TUV500 packs the bigger
2.2-litre mHawk 120 4-cylinder diesel engine from the Mahindra Scorpio paired
with a 5-speed manual transmission, instead of the TUV300’s 1.5L mHawk100
3-cylinder motor. It’s unlikely that the TUV300’s 5-speed AMT will be offered
in the TUV500, so the variant may remain manual only or use the Aisin-sourced
6-speed automatic gearbox. M&M may also consider the 1.99L mHawk engine for
the 7-seat vehicle.