Rear of the Mahindra U321 (Toyota Innova Crysta rival) rendered

Will go on sale by February 2018.

In February 2017, Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, confirmed the Mahindra U321 MPV. Analysing spy shots of the future model, automotive illustrator Shoeb Kalania has created an illustration of the Mahindra U321's rear.

The Mahindra U321 is designed at the Mahindra North American Technical Center (MNATC) in Michigan. While the global trend is giving MPVs pseudo-crossover/SUV character, designers at Mahindra have gone the opposite way, giving the U321 a proper MPV look. Mahindra has 50-60 full-time staff working on the U321 project in the USA, while the Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai has now taken over the testing and development.

Reports say that Mahindra will utilise a monocoque platform for the Mahindra U321, but it's unknown whether the vehicle is based on the XUV500's platform or a completely new one. The company does see a potential for this model in international markets, but it will look at export markets only after it has mounted a formidable challenge to the undisputed king of the Indian MPV segment - the Toyota Innova Crysta - which did a turnover of USD 2.4 billion last fiscal for TKM.

A recent report said that the U321 will get a Mahindra-SsangYong co-developed 1.6-litre diesel engine. The company's interest in export markets indicates a petrol option is likely, possibly the 1.5-litre mill currently under joint development by Mahindra and SsangYong.

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Dr Goenka has confirmed that the Mahindra U321 will go on sale in India by February 2018. The company is investing INR 1500 crore in its two plants to prepare them for the model's rollout.

Expect the Mahindra U321 to have an alphanumeric branding and a starting price of around INR 10 lakhs when it hits the market.