Company to also display its first clutch-less automatic manual transmission engine
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has a show-stopper up its sleeve for the coming Auto Expo. And, it’s not from its diesel-driven utility vehicle family, which has a created a fortune for the automaker. At the auto event, M&M is set to unveil India’s first sporty four-door all-electric car built by its subsidiary, Mahindra Reva Electric Cars (MREC), which has developed e2o, a four-seater mini electric car.
Also on display at the Auto Expo will be the electric version of Mahindra’s self-developed sedan Verito (inspired by Renault’s Logan), which could be launched in the domestic market provided the government comes out with some incentives for the sector.
A full hybrid version of one of the company’s most popular sports utility vehicles (SUV), XUV500, will also be showcased. This hybrid model is expected to have a small diesel engine and an electric motor. M&M has been building the micro-hybrid versions of various models such as Scorpio and Xylo.
Pravin Shah, chief executive (automotive division), said: “We are trying to build brand Mahindra globally. There will be a variety of vehicles under the electric platform. Various things we do surrounding one big activity that is in true sense a representative of our true DNA.”
A Mahindra Formula E car, which would participate in this year’s inaugural FIA Formula E series in September, will share the stage with other M&M products at the Expo.
In addition, to cater to off-road enthusiasts, a turbo-charged XUV500 will be on display. This variant, the most powerful model of the premium SUV, had won M&M the Asean rally last year and is in a customised form.
The company will also display its first clutch-less automatic manual transmission (AMT) engine-transmission technology, which is also pursued by car market leader Maruti Suzuki in one of its to-be-launched hatchbacks and also to be showcased at the Auto Expo.
“Position-wise, the AMT will sit in between manual and automatic segments of the market. It will provide the fun and efficiency of manual transmission without the clutch,” added Shah. Chennai-based TVS Motors was the first company to introduce this technology in India when it launched the Jive motorcycle couple of years ago.
M&M’s South Korean subsidiary SsangYong Motor Company will, too, flex its muscles with the showcasing of at least three of its SUVs including a concept. The firm will display the Korando Turismo, a huge multi-seater multi-purpose vehicle, which SsangYong had introduced early last year.
Also on display will be the Limitless Interface Vehicle (LIV-1) concept, a large SUV positioned just above the SsangYong Rexton when it will go into production. LIV-1 follows several recent concept cars from SsangYong, and along with the XIV (eXciting User-Interface Vehicle) series and SIV-1 (Smart Interface Vehicle) shown at Geneva Motor Show last year.
SsangYong is present in India with the Rexton premium SUV. The Korean company which is more than 70 per cent controlled by M&M has been testing the Korando Turismo for an india launch.
