Mahindra U321 MPV to be named on July 31

A lot is already known about Mahindra’s new upcoming MPV, codenamed U321. The MPV’s name, however, is yet unknown. Come July 31, this will be announced by Mahindra MD Pawan Goenka at a press conference to be held in Mumbai. Along with the name, the company will also share other related information about the new model.

The U321 is the brand’s first passenger car to be developed at Mahindra’s North American Technical Centre. The company had earlier confirmed that the MPV will be assembled at its Nasik production facility and is based on a new platform.

At launch, the U321 will also debut Mahindra’s new 1.5-litre diesel engine, said to develop around 121hp and 300Nm, which in this MPV will initially be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. Mahindra hasn’t revealed any plans about a petrol-powered iteration as yet. However, based on the carmaker’s plans to ready petrol powertrains to cater to its entire model range by April 2020, it is safe to assume that the U321 will also get a petrol engine at a later date.

The U321 will come in both, seven- and eight-seat configurations and going by Mahindra’s trend, expect the car to be loaded with upmarket comfort and connectivity features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, automatic climate control, projector headlamps and daytime running lamps. These will help it stand tall against the competition.

Talking about its competition, the UV maker had said that the U321 is not a replacement for the Xylo but is a slightly premium product that will be positioned above it. This would mean that the U321 would take on the upcoming second-gen Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, the Renault Lodgy and even the Toyota Innova Crysta at the higher end of the segment.