Mahindra and Mahindra plans new mass-market SUV; eyes lowest-price slot

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.993711471557617px;">The company is currently working on 2-3 platforms for this new SUV, which it plans to launch beginning 2015 at a price even below that of Scorpio.</span><div> <div class="float8" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.960000038146973px; margin: 0px auto -3px; width: 628px;"> <div class="img"> <div style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em; margin-top: 4px;"> <img alt="Mahindra and Mahindra plans new mass-market SUV; eyes lowest-price slot (© AP)" class="img1" height="369" src="http://kaw.stb.s-msn.com/i/F4/472272B6CB977F8A2C377A14B627C.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(181, 181, 181); padding: 1px;" title="Mahindra and Mahindra plans new mass-market SUV; eyes lowest-price slot (© AP)" width="624" /></div> <div class="copyright" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #999999; font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-right: 3px; margin-top: -9px; padding-bottom: 2px;"> AP</div> </div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> Davos: After huge success of its existing models like Scorpio and XUV 500, auto major Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) is working on a new mass-market SUV and plans to position it as the lowest-price vehicle in this segment.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> The company is currently working on 2-3 platforms for this new SUV, which it plans to launch beginning 2015 at a price even below that of Scorpio, senior executive Pawan Goenka told PTI in an interview here.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> Goenka, executive director and President (Automotive and Farm Equipments) at M&M, was here for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, which was held from January 21-25.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> Mahindra group, a $17 billion multinational group employing over 185,000 people in over 100 countries, is a major player in automotive business through its flagship entity M&M. Besides, it is also present across various other sectors including technology, aerospace, defence, financial services, hospitality, retail and real estate.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> "If you look at journey of Mahindras, starting from Scorpio, we basically have pushed the envelope for making the mass market higher in terms of price," said Goenka, who is known as father of the highly successful Scorpio.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> Asked what next to expect from M&M in the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment, Goenka said, "When we started selling Scorpio at about Rs 6 lakh, there was no mass market product being sold at Rs 6 lakh.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> "Nothing was sold more than few hundred units at Rs 6 lakh at that time and then we came and sold 3,000-4,000 Scorpios a month at that price.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> "Then, when we launched we launched XUV at Rs 12 lakh, again there was no mass market product sold at that price. But we again came in and pushed the envelop. We have done all these," he said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> "Now, going beyond Rs 12 lakh price position is probably unlikely in India right now. There has been a very significant change in the segmentation of this SUV business where the smaller sub-four meter, may be even petrol driven, SUVs are suddenly becoming very popular.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> "So for Mahindras, the next big thing would be not to go from Scorpio to XUV to something bigger and more premium, but to come on this end, that is below Scorpio, to see how do we go into the newly created segment of sub-four metre, primarily five-passenger vehicles," Goenka said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> "That is where our next big bet will be," he said. Asked whether this new vehicle could be the lowest price product in the SUV segment, Goenka replied in affirmative.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> About the possible timeline, he said, "We will have 2-3 new platforms that we will be launching starting 2015."</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.333em;"> Goenka also said that Mahindra group was very active in overseas markets, while the India growth story has also remained intact and the same has been asserted by Indian leaders during WEF summit at Davos, Switzerland.</div> <div> <br /></div> </div> </div>

Mahindra and Mahindra plans new mass-market SUV; eyes lowest-price slot

The company is currently working on 2-3 platforms for this new SUV, which it plans to launch beginning 2015 at a price even below that of S...

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Renault Unveils KWID Compact SUV Concept

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vwXyRf5LfwRQL_nkZwqHhQ27AtRA_1-vVeAUYllUD_cYEsJSzxJ9VVKSjSGbWBjANJV44L7olrlkKk49lcap38q9d2Pv2oF_wEsblT8cLmgxkNIENdyWynW-HgSmt60nf7VlgIsQxeg/s1600/Renault-Kwid-2_2812560b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vwXyRf5LfwRQL_nkZwqHhQ27AtRA_1-vVeAUYllUD_cYEsJSzxJ9VVKSjSGbWBjANJV44L7olrlkKk49lcap38q9d2Pv2oF_wEsblT8cLmgxkNIENdyWynW-HgSmt60nf7VlgIsQxeg/s1600/Renault-Kwid-2_2812560b.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">Renault has finally lifted the curtains from its KWID compact SUV concept, that was teased online a couple of days back. Renault has chosen the Indian platform to introduce this compact SUV at the ongoing 2014 Indian Auto Expo, globally. This is the first time that Renault has entered the crossover segment in India. This vehicle has partially been designed in one of the design studios in Mumbai, keeping in mind, the young generation. The special addition to the concept is the flying companion, that can be used automatically as well as manually. This unique feature enables the driver to scout traffic, take landscape pictures and detect the path ahead.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">Coming to the key highlight, this KWID concept compact SUV is equipped with impressive scissor doors. The 'back to future' concept car is just 3.62 meter long and it appears extremely attractive and advanced. It is also reported that the car will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol turbocharged engine and this engine is mated to dual-clutch transmission EDC.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;" /><img align="right" alt="" height="200" src="http://www.businessworld.in/image/image_gallery?uuid=ae360d63-d0c5-4a23-a3af-692d1fb79482&groupId=36166&t=1391746447699" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; outline: 0px;" width="200" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">The KWID concept provides enormous space to the driver, as it carries the centrally-driven design. Other alluring features bestowed upon this compact SUV concept are electrically operated front bench seats at the centre, LED lighting, scissor doors with electric control and touch controls for gearshifting. You would also be able to operate the vehicle using smart gadgets like smartphones or tablets.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">This concept vehicle is inspired by the Dunny Bunny design that gives it rugged characteristics. It is well known that Renault is famous for launching futuristic concepts at motor shows and this concept is another part of its portfolio. Now, the company has made India its global platform for the new concept model, after the company recorded its highest growth in the Indian market last year. Notably, the KWID compact SUV is the first concept car that has been unveiled outside Europe. - </span></div>

Renault Unveils KWID Compact SUV Concept

Renault has finally lifted the curtains from its KWID compact SUV concept, that was teased online a couple of days back. Renault has chosen...

Read more »