Mahindra Jeeto passenger van - IAB Rendering

Could launch for sale before the end of 2017.

Based on a couple of spy shots we received last week, IAB's Shoeb R Kalania has created a rendering of the Mahindra Jeeto passenger van. There's no word from Mahindra on the date of launch, but we expect it to arrive before the end of the calendar year.

The Jeeto van will be positioned under the Mahindra Supro, and rival the Tata Magic Iris. Like the latter, the five-seater Jeeto van has tarpaulin covers for the side doors and rear windscreen, while the third-row windows are fixed.

Although the front fascia hasn't been spotted, it is likely to look identical to the Jeeto pickup, featuring round headlamps connected by a sleek plastic grille, and a black plastic bumper. Colour options could be borrowed from its pick up sibling, which include Diamond White, Sunrise Red, Ultramarine Blue, Mango Yellow and Premium Beige.

Power will come from the Jeeto’s single-cylinder water-cooled m_Dura 625 cc engine diesel capable of 11 hp or 16 hp, and 38 Nm of torque. A 4-speed manual is the only transmission offered, which sends power to the rear wheels. Expect the van to download the 'Digisense' connected vehicle platform from the light truck, which give it cloud-based vehicle tracking, engine diagnostics, route planning, breakdown assistance and Geo fencing functions.

Also Read: Mahindra KUV100 sales cross 50,000 units in India

The Jeeto has helped establish Mahindra in the small commercial vehicle segment, garnering a market share of 20 percent. With the introduction of the van variant, Mahindra hopes to increase the market share significantly. The passenger application will be manufactured at their plant in Zaheerabad, Telangana, where Mahindra recently opened an extension of the facility that increases the overall plant capacity to 140,000 units per year.