Way back in March 2013, we broke the news that Mahindra is working on an all-new engine family that will be featured in its future range of vehicles. This new engine line-up will be seen in offerings from Mahindra as well as in models from the SsangYong brand sold in India and overseas. The carmaker has invested around USD 800 million in development of this all-new engine range. This range will include three main derivatives, with more sub-derivatives under each, depending on power and torque output and other specifications.
The new engine family includes three petrol and three diesel engines with capacities ranging from 1.2 to 1.6 litre. Developed on a modular architecture, the base 1.2-litre motors will be three-cylinder units, while the higher capacity 1.5- and 1.6-litre engines will have four cylinders.
The new set of engines use common parts and have a common 'bore center spacing' to optimise manufacturing costs. They are also being developed to be capable of clearing emission norms as high as Euro VI for use in international markets. While the engine development is an undertaking between Mahindra and its Korean affiliate, it's the parent company that will take the lead in this ambitious programme. Hence, the bulk of the development will be carried out in the Mahindra Research Valley (MRV), the company's state-of-the-art R&D facility outside Chennai.
The first set of engines from this range was launched internationally in the SsangYong Tivoli crossover. This model gets the top of the line 1.6-litre four-cylinder derivatives in both petrol and diesel versions, called e-XGi160 and e-XDi160 respectively. The 1.6-litre petrol delivers 126bhp while the diesel is good for 113bhp. These engines are mated to Aisin-developed six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes.
The recently unveiled KUV100 is the second model to benefit from this engine family. Mahindra has christened this range as the mFalcon engine range. The KUV100 gets the 1.2-litre versions of these engines. The three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol is dubbed G80 while the 1.2-litre diesel powerplant is called D75. The G80 gets an aluminium block with dual-VVT setup and a plastic intake manifold, variable oil pump and low friction seals. It generates 81.8bhp of power and 11.73kgm of torque. The D75 gets advanced turbo charger and like the G80, comes with some plastic parts to reduce weight. This motor also features an advanced fuel pump, plastic intake manifold, next generation turbocharger, and advanced thermostats and churns out 76.43bhp and 19.37kgm of torque. Both powerplants are likely to be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox in the KUV100. An AMT gearbox will be offered, but at a later stage.
Mahindra has confirmed that the third derivative in the family, the 1.5-litre setup, is under development and will be introduced in a future Mahindra product, which is still some time away.
The KUV100 will be launched on January 15, 2016 and bookings for the model are open now. The KUV100 will be offered in four variants. Mahindra will offer a safety pack with dual airbags across all variants. ABS will be standard across all trims of the new compact SUV.
Mahindra KUV100 compact SUV revealed