Prior to the coronavirus-based lockdown being instituted, Mahindra had been hard at work upgrading its line-up of SUVs to meet the new BS6 emission norms. Now, the SUV specialist has listed prices for the BS6-compliant Mahindra Alturas G4.

Prices for the BS6 Alturas start at Rs 28.69 lakh for the base 2WD (two-wheel drive) variant, with the fully-loaded 4WD model priced at Rs 31.69 lakh. Compared to the BS4 model, which was priced between Rs 27.70-30.70 lakh, BS6 Alturas prices are higher by about Rs 1 lakh.

The previously offered 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine is expected to be upgraded to meet the more stringent norms. In BS4 form, the unit produced 181hp and 420Nm of torque - a 7-speed automatic gearbox will continue as standard fit.

Interestingly, we can exclusively report that the BS6 Alturas G4 will be more fuel-efficient than the outgoing BS4 model. In BS6 form, the Alturas has an ARAI-rated mileage of 12.03kpl, which is a 0.53kpl increase over the BS4 model’s 11.5kpl figure.

As before the Alturas is quite well kitted, with the entry-level 2WD version getting features like Nappa leather upholstery, a powered driver seat, ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control, heated wing mirrors, a tyre pressure monitor, front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and cruise control, to name a few. The Alturas G4 4WD gets even more kit including a 360-degree camera, a memory function for the driver’s seat, a powered tailgate, sunroof and ambient lighting among other features.

Coming to the safety kit on offer, the ‘base’ version comes with dual front airbags, ABS, ESP, traction control, hill-start assist, hill-descent control and rollover mitigation. The fully-loaded 4WD additionally packs in a total of nine airbags.

Like its BS4 counterpart, the BS6 Mahindra Alturas G4 will rival the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner - both these have already been upgraded to meet the new norms. Isuzu is expected to rejoin the fray in the full-size seven-seat SUV space with the MU-X once the SUV is upgraded to meet BS6 emission norms later in the year.