Spied: Mahindra S101 with production-spec bodywork

We have been reporting about Mahindra’s much-awaited S101 compact SUV for longer than we can remember. Mahindra is religiously testing this new compact SUV, prototypes of which have been caught on camera multiple times in the past few months. A preproduction prototype has been spied yet again in Chennai, this time by a Quarter Mile reader.

Based on a new monocoque platform jointly developed by Mahindra and sister brand Ssangyong, the S101 is probably the most intriguing product from Mahindra after the Scorpio. As before, the vehicle is covered in heavy camouflage but unlike the previous spotting where in the test mules were seen with very little bodywork, the former is seen wearing production-spec body panels such as the headlamps and bumpers.

Going by these latest spy shots, the S101 looks very similar (from the front, at least) to Mahindra’s bigger XUV 500, the daytime running LED-infested headlights are clear giveaways here. Powering this new model will be a brand new pair of petrol and diesel engines – 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel units with a five-speed manual gearbox.

Expected to arrive in the market early next year, the S101 will be introduced as a sub-four metre compact SUV, slotting in between the Quanto compact MPV and the Scorpio SUV. By adding this new model to its line-up, Mahindra is looking to cash in on the rapidly expanding compact SUV segment in India.