Not Inferno, Mahindra's flagship SUV likely to be called Alturas; launch on November 26

New Mahindra & Mahindra SUV has been rumoured with the name XUV700, Rexton and Inferno. A new report claims it will be called Alturas, thus breaking the tradition of naming the SUV that ends with the letter 'O'.

Ever since Mahindra & Mahindra revealed its new flagship SUV without a name at Auto Expo 2018 in February, many possible names had spread around the internet. It was initially linked with the name Rexton, then XUV700 and many others.

The latest to join the possible names list was the Mahindra Inferno. Since Mahindra follows the tradition of naming its SUV with ending letter 'O,' Inferno was believed to be an apt name. However, a report in Autocar confirms the new three-row SUV will be called the Alturas.

If the report is anything to go by, Mahindra will be breaking the pattern of naming the vehicle that ends with 'O' with the new SUV which is currently codenamed Y400. In addition, the report also claims Mahindra has postponed the launch date to November 26 from November 19 even though the reason is not explained.

Mahindra 7-seat flagship SUV

The new Mahindra SUV is essentially a rebadged version of the G4 Rexton SUV which Mahindra sells via its South Korean subsidiary, SsangYong. Mahindra sells the last generation Rexton in India while the response is not healthy. That could be the reason why the new generation is coming in as Mahindra SUV, not SsangYong.

Mahindra has made some changes to the G4 Rexton via rebadging to make it more appealing to Indian customers and the most visible addition is the toothy grille finished in chrome. Mahindra has also worked on the suspension, ride height and handling package of the new SUV to make it better suited for Indian road conditions.

The SUV gets muscular bumpers and the newly designed wrap-around headlamps look modern while the black body claddings accentuate off-road appeal. The prominent character lines on the side and the thick C-pillars adds muscle to the side profile.

Inside the cabin, the SUV will get a premium dual-tone dashboard with black and brown finish. It also flaunts a 9.2-inch HD touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 7.0-inch LCD instrument cluster, cooled seats, Nappa leather upholstery, a smart tailgate, and others.

Mahindra 7-seat SUV on display at Auto Expo 2018IBT Media/ Ken Sunny

The new Mahindra SUV is expected to draw power from a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine, capable to produce 187hp and 420Nm of peak torque in the new SUV. The mill may come mated to a seven-speed torque converter automatic transmission channelling power to the rear wheels.

In order to give Y400 SUV buyers a premium experience, the company is reportedly setting up new Mahindra Prime dealership section in its showrooms. This special enclosure inside the dealership will focus on the premium SUVs from Mahindra starting from the new 7-seat flagship SUV.

Source: Autocar