Mahindra U321 MPV spotted testing alongside rivals: Shows production-ready parts

The home-grown UV maker Mahindra and Mahindra has been testing its upcoming Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) codenamed U321 on the Indian roads for quite some time now. The model has been spied undergoing testing once again; this time around the U321 was spotted with production parts.

The latest set of images of the U321 MPV show it alongside its rival the Renault Lodgy. From the spy images shared by IndianAutosBlog, the U321 reveals its toothed front grille and projector headlamps. The U321 MPV will also get LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) with fog lamps.

The earlier images suggested that the MPV gets a new cabin with a dual-tone color scheme and is likely to come with features like a large touchscreen infotainment system along with control switches on both sides of it, central aircon vents, automatic climate control and front-center armrest onboard. The cabin of the U321 could also get chrome accents running on the dashboard and AC vents. The new model also showed three-spoke steering, a two-pod instrument cluster, and fabric upholstery.

Mahindra U321 MPV will be the company's first model based on the monocoque platform and has been developed at its North American Technical Centre (MNATC) in Michigan and Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai.

Under the hood, the new U321 is expected to get a 1.6-litre mFalcon diesel engine. The engine can is expected to generate nearly 123bhp of power and 305 Nm of torque and the transmission could be handled by a six-speed manual gearbox. The new MPV of Mahindra may also get a 2.2-litre mHawk engine in the MPV.

Apart from Renault Lodgy, Mahindra U321 will also challenge the Innova Crysta from Toyota. Mahindra is expected to launch the new model by May this year.