Mahindra TUV300 will not launch in Australia, S105 planned instead - Report

11/09/2015 - 11:40 Mahindra TUV300, Mahindra S105, Mahindra Anjan Ravi

Meets the future BNVSAP regulations though.

The Mahindra TUV300 will be exported to South Africa and its neighboring markets in the weeks to come, however, Australia is not among the global markets on the TUV's radar. Mahindra Automotive Australia marketing manager James Halliwel, told CarAdvice that the company will not introduce the TUV300, but could launch another compact SUV.

Mahindra TUV300 front quarter (1) first drive review — The TUV300 rides on a ladder-frame platform, sharing its wheelbase with the Scorpio.

The publication states that the compact SUV planned for Australia will be revealed in India by the end of March 2016, and has a codename 'S105', suggesting it to be a monocoque ('S' refers to monocoque products, while 'U' stands for ladder frame vehicles). Halliwel told the publication that the S105 is "far better suited" for Australia, and could land in their shores 18 months post its Indian unveiling.

The report also states that the TUV300 would need additional safety features like ESC, side and curtain airbags for it to have a better chance in the Australian market. In the Indian market, the TUV300 offers dual front airbags and ABS as an option even on the base variant, and its standard on the top-end trim.

Mahindra TUV300 interior launched in India — Buyers can opt for safety features like ABS and airbags even on the base variant.

Also read: Mahindra close to finalizing Pininfarina deal

At the launch of the TUV300 yesterday, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director Mahindra & Mahindra, said that the compact SUV meets the yet-to-be-announced BNVSAP (Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme) safety regulation, and that it wouldn't need to meet future regulations for at least the next four years.

The TUV300 is priced from INR 6.9 lakhs, ex-Showroom, Pune.

[Source - CarAdvice]