The SsangYong Rexton that was brought to India in 2012 wasn’t a roaring success for Mahindra in terms of sales, as full-size seven-seat rivals, such as the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour, offered more. The segment is even more competitive now, with new players like Skoda’s Kodiaq, Mitsubishi’s Outlander, Isuzu’s MU-X facelift and even Honda’s new seven-seat CR-V having entered this year. Mahindra’s new flagship, the second-gen Rexton, which has been named the Alturas G4, is meant to give the brand a new lease of life in this segment when it arrives on November 24. Here are the key points to know about the SUV:
It is larger than its predecessor
The Alturas G4 gets an all-new body-on-frame setup that is said to be stiffer than the older SsangYong Rexton’s, while overall weight is lower. The new SUV is also larger in every dimension, with a 95mm increase in length (4,850mm), 60mm in width (1,960mm), 40mm in height (1,825mm) and 30mm in the wheelbase (2,865mm); all this will translate to more space inside the cabin. While the second-gen Rexton that is sold in international markets is a five-seater, the Alturas G4 will seat seven.
The new flagship SUV gets an all-new design that makes it look much better than its predecessor. Additions like projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps (DRLs), a slim hexagonal grille, LED fog and cornering lamps at the front and 20-inch alloy wheels with thicker rubber should also aid the SUV in standing out.
It’s got all-new interiors
The cabin of the upcoming Alturas G4 is also all-new and is quite plush, thanks to leather upholstery on the seats and door panels. Mahindra has provided a new-design dashboard and a new steering wheel unit that has more contemporary buttons and switches. Mahindra is expected to provide segment-rivalling features as well in the form of a large sunroof, a 9.2-inch HD screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 360-degree camera, a 7.0-inch LCD instrument cluster, a smart tailgate, ventilated seats with memory function and an electronic parking brake.
It’ll be priced aggressively
Naturally, the new Alturas is expected to be priced at a bit of a premium compared to the outgoing Rexton, which retails between Rs 24.25 lakh (RX6 trim) and Rs 25.99 lakh (RX7). Despite this, Mahindra is expected to undercut its main rivals and price the Alturas G4 at about Rs 27 lakh.
At this price point, the base diesel-automatic variant of the Toyota Fortuner (Rs 31.07 lakh) will command a Rs 3 lakh premium over the Mahindra, while the Ford Endeavour’s starting price tag of Rs 26.33 lakh will be slightly below. This also means that the Alturas G4 will significantly undercut the Skoda Kodiaq (Rs 34.84 lakh*) and even the Mitsubishi Outlander (Rs 31.95 lakh^) and Honda CR-V (Rs 30.65-32.75 lakh), while sharing its price point with Isuzu MU-X (Rs 26.27-28.23 lakh).
It’s got a new powertrain
The Rexton, which will soon be replaced by the Alturas, is powered by a 2.7-litre, five-cylinder diesel motor in 164hp/340Nm and 186hp/402Nm states of tune. The former is mated to a 5-speed manual that comes with a torque-on-demand system, while the latter is paired with a 5-speed automatic that natively comes with all-wheel drive. The Alturas G4 is powered by a new 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 180.5hp and 450Nm. The motor is paired to a new Mercedes-sourced 7-speed automatic gearbox.
Two trims at launch
When its prices are revealed on November 24, the Alturas G4 will be available in just two trims – 2WD and 4WD; the former is expected to miss out on a colour Multi Information Display (it’ll get a black and white unit), the sunroof and a hands-free boot opening system. Mahindra dealerships have already begun accepting bookings for the Alturas G4 for an amount of Rs 50,000. The model will be displayed at Mahindra outlets from November 26 onwards.
All prices, ex-showroom, Delhi
*Ex-showroom, India
^Ex-showroom, Mumbai
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
