Spied: Mahindra S201 compact SUV in near production form

Mahindra's all-new compact SUV, codenamed S201 has been spotted testing again but this time we've also got a sneak peek into its interior. But first, a glance at the exterior reveals what the production-spec S201's head and tail lamps would look like.

The rectangular headlamp has projector beams and an integrated DRL while the turn indicators are pushed to the extreme end on either side. The silhouette appears to be boxy, like its arch-rival, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza but there seem to be a few interesting design elements on the Mahindra.

From what's visible, the S201 will get an integrated rear spoiler and wraparound taillights. The rear fog lamps are integrated neatly into the bumper while the multi-spoke alloys have an interesting design. The test car is seen running on Apollo Alnacs tyres. (The Vitara Brezza ships with the same brand of tyres)

Like the exterior, the dashboard and door panels have been wrapped in camouflage tape, however, the steering wheel, centre console and instrument cluster is clearly visible, hinting at what to expect. The interior is swathed in black and beige with silver accents. The touchscreen infotainment system is flanked by two, vertical A/C vents with a piano black bezel surrounding them. The auto climate control is located just below and has red coloured buttons to operate various functions. A large rotary dial is placed in the centre of these row of buttons to control the fan speed.

There are two USB ports below the climate control console and an AUX-in port in between them. A single, 12-V charging port is placed at the bottom of the centre console. A thoughtful addition is the cubby hole to store your phone while it charges. Also visible is the gear knob with a chrome ring at the top. Similar trim can be seen around the engine start-stop button that I placed to the left of the steering rack.

The pictures suggest that driving position is high while the top edge of the dashboard is low, allowing a commanding view of the road. Not to mention, this is the kind of driving position that Indians seem to love in their SUV, compact or otherwise.

The steering wheel looks nice and chunky with controls for the infotainment system as well as the MIFD that's slotted between the rev and speed dials on the instrument panel. Expect Mahindra to plonk in cruise control as well as its rivals, the Brezza and the Ford EcoSport get that option.

The instrument console appears similar to ones in other Mahindra cars. The console is white backlit with red needles to indicate engine revs and vehicle speed. The MIFD, from what we can see, displays the gear selected, odo, trip and fuel level. We expect to see an instantaneous fuel consumption read out as well as a digital speed display as well.

The Mahindra S201 is being developed at the Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai. The upcoming S201 SUV will be available in both petrol and diesel engines. More importantly, it will make use of a new-gen 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre petrol motors that is being jointly developed by SsangYong and Mahindra.

Image source: Motorvikitan.com