Ssangyong Tivoli caught testing in India

Many Ssangyong vehicle models are preparing to hit the car market of India, although they might not be carrying the company brand name in the country any more. Ssangyong, which is a South Korean subsidiary of the Indian auto major Mahindra & Mahindra, will be seeing its products rebadged as Mahindra models in the Indian market. This is because Mahindra is a well-respected brand in its home market, while the Korean UV maker is still quite unheard of by many buyers. Thus, while Mahindra will not stop bringing in the Ssangyong models to India; it will be selling them as Mahindra models here. It is also a known fact that the codenamed upcoming Mahindra S201 is actually the Indian version of the Ssangyong Tivoli compact SUV. The codenamed S201 has been spied recently wearing heavy camouflages and looks very similar to the Tivoli that is already selling in the global markets.

By the looks of the heavily camouflaged Mahindra S201 test prototype model, it seems that the sub-4 meter compact SUV is the rebadged version of the Ssangyong Tivoli compact SUV, or is based on the Tivoli. Going by the spy pictures, the new upcoming Mahindra SUV also seems to be quite production ready and its overall styling although hidden under the thick veils seem to be heavily inspired by the South Korean compact SUV.

In the spy shots, the new upcoming subcompact SUV seems to have been endowed with aggressive exterior styling. The small SUV also seems to be coming with a rear spoiler and attractively styled wraparound tail lights which might be the mildly restyled versions of the one’s that the ongoing Tivoli SUV comes with. The Ssangyong Tivoli flaunts nicely designed vertical tail lights that come along with L-shaped LEDs. The light reflectors at the rear have been integrated into the rear bumper, while the model also flaunts diamond-cut alloy wheels to add to its attractive styling.

The new upcoming Mahindra S201 sub-4 meter compact SUV is being developed at the Indian SUV master’s research and development facility – the Mahindra Research Valley, located in Chennai. The new S201 compact SUV will be offered for sale in the Indian car market in both petrol and diesel engine choices. Mahindra is expected to equip the new upcoming S201 SUV with the new 1.5 litre and 1.6 litre petrol engines that the company has developed in a joint collaboration with its Korean subsidiary Ssangyong.

Mahindra & Mahindra is expected to introduce the brand new S201 compact SUV towards the end of this current calendar year. Post its Indian market launch the new subcompact SUV will be entering a highly competitive Indian subcompact SUV segment and will be going up against the likes of the segment leader Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and its own sibling the Mahindra TUV300.

Mahindra & Mahindra has plans to introduce many other vehicles in India from the Ssangyong stable, all rebadged as Mahindra models. Mahindra’s upcoming flagship model the new generation Ssangyong Rexton is also going to wear the Mahindra badge and might even get an entirely new name.