Take note Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza! Mahindra S201 spied testing ahead of launch this year

Mahindra S201 will rival Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Tata Nexon in India.

Mahindra is testing a new compact SUV codenamed S201 on the Indian roads, and a fresh batch of spy images of the model has emerged online, suggesting that the work on the new model is progressing at a rapid pace. The new small SUV of Mahindra is the company's answer to Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and others in its segment.

The latest images of the Mahindra S201 come from the folks at GaadiWaadi, with the spotted test mule seen hiding under a considerable amount of camouflage. Although the images of the new S201 do not have anything new to reveal, from the looks of it the compact SUV seems to be carrying a styling body.

While we will have to wait till the company unveils it to see the design and other key elements of the models, reports suggest that there are two versions of the model in the making.

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Of the versions, one is the compact SUV that has been on test and the other is rumoured to be the SUV to rival Hyundai Creta and Renault Captur. The latter will be positioned above the compact SUV spotted on the test.

The S201 will be based on SsangYong Tivoli's platform and engine family. The model is expected to get the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit that does duty in the Mahindra KUV100 in a re-tuned version with direct fuel-injection and 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel mill.

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Mahindra is expected to launch the new S201 sometime later this year. There have also been reports that the new compact SUV could debut at the Auto Expo in February. Mahindra is also expected to showcase new MPV, codenamed U321 at the auto show.

The U321 will be Mahindra's first MPV based on the monocoque platform and has been developed at its North American Technical Centre (MNATC) in Michigan and Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai. The MPV will take on the likes of Toyota Innova Crysta in India.