Automobile major Mahindra on Friday said it would double down on its bet on sports utility vehicles (SUVs) as it unveiled a new platform and showcased four of its next-generation SUVs based on the platform.
New cars on the NU_IQ platform, which will offer both internal combustion and electric powertrain options, along with left-hand drive configurations, will be launched from 2027 onwards and will include sub-4-metre SUVs as well.
“If we look at the core SUV market (by excluding hatchback crossovers and MPVs), it has grown from 19 per cent in FY22 to 30 per cent in FY25, and we have grown faster than the market. We believe this is the right bet, and there are significant white spaces in the domestic market. We also hope that with our new platform, we would be able to disrupt the global SUV market as well,” Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO, automotive division, M&M, told The Telegraph.
Gollagunta said the company will have an additional capacity of 2.4 lakh earmarked at the car maker’s plant at Chakan to support the production on its new platform. Exports will also be planned in phases, starting with existing markets such as South Africa and Australia, and then expanding to the UK and looking at other geographies.
“With the modular multi-energy architecture, it gives us the flexibility to innovate across multiple powertrains while staying true to our SUV DNA,” said R. Velusamy, president — automotive business (designate), M&M, and MD, Mahindra Electric Automobile.
“This is a first step towards two distinct paradigm changes — design and technology. Today we have unveiled a bold new vision for 2027 that will become the backbone for the next generation of world-beating SUVs engineered from India,” said Anish Shah, group CEO and MD, M&M.
With the overseas launches of XUV700 and XUV3XO, the company has also been able to make great strides in international markets, he added.
“There was a time when global auto makers dominated our roads and aspirations. Today, the tide has truly turned. Indian companies like Mahindra are now at the forefront of technology, scale, and ambition,” Shah stated.
Meanwhile, M&M has submitted a letter of interest to the Maharashtra government to acquire 350 acres of land in Igatpuri, Maharashtra.
