Tata might have been the trend-setter in Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) in India with the Ace platform and its many derivatives but Mahindra managed to leave a mark in this popular segment with the 'Maxximo' pick-up and mini van. Launched in 2011, both the single-cab cargo truck and the hard-top people-mover met with success, establishing Mahindra as a strong threat to Tata Motors.
Three years later, it looks like the Maxximo mini van is due for a facelift. Spotted testing last evening in the busy NH45 on the outskirts of Chennai, the highway that houses the Mahindra Research Valley, the Maxximo facelift seems to be getting just minor changes. Going by the partial camouflage on the body, this possibly is just a frontal nip and tuck. So, the headlights, grille and bumper could see some changes, while the profile and the rear of the vehicle are seemingly unchanged, let alone the location of the badge . Codenamed P108, the Maxximo facelift sports the same prominent, upward-sloping character line, rather largish 'C2 CRDe' badge and the vertical taillights from the current model.
The sliding rear door on the left side and the sliding rear windows hint that this is the top-end VX variant on test. Currently, the range has two variants, a base variant with frameless rear door and canvas top and the VX variant with sliding rear door and windows. We presume Mahindra will continue offering both the variants with the facelift too. The current Maxximo mini van has a monocoque chassis, a 909 cc, twin cylinder, common-rail diesel engine with 25 horsepower and 55 Nm of torque, an independent front suspension, a cable-operated gear shift, brakes with Load Sensing Proportioning Valve (LSPV), butterfly rear windows and seating capacity for up to eight passengers. We don't expect these to change in the upcoming facelift.
Albeit minimal, these cosmetic changes in the Maxximo facelift puts it in good stead to take the Tata Ace Magic head-on.
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