At the ongoing 2020 Auto Expo, Mahindra has showcased the mStallion range of TGDI petrol engines. The first engine will debut in the 2020 Thar sometime around April’20.
Considering Mahindra’s portfolio and history, Mahindra and SUVs are almost synonymous in India. And SUVs till now have been heavily dependent upon diesel guzzlers. This is the very reason why Mahindra had invested heavily in its diesel portfolio which still contributes to around 85% of its monthly sales (tentative figures).
The strategy worked beautifully for Mahindra back when the dieselization of the Indian Economy was underway, basically the time frame around 2011-13. However, when the diesel subsidy went away, Mahindra started to feel the pinch. The differential between petrol and diesel prices started to taper down and stricter environmental regulations meant that it was going to be even more expensive to manufacture pollution norms conforming diesel motors.
Amidst all of this, Mahindra realigned its strategy as it felt the need for a reliable petrol engine range, something which can possibly compliment its well-known mHawk diesel range. And, Mahindra’s engineers are finally ready with a new BS6 compliant petrol engine lineup which they have decided to brand as mStallion. The interesting piece is that these engines are future proof and will be able to meet CAFÉ and upcoming stricter emission norms which are scheduled to kick in from 2023 as well.
The mStallion range uses TGDI technology (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection), which is way more advanced and complicated than the MPFI unit found on KUV100’s petrol engine. The lineup consists of 3 motors, 1.2 litre, 1.5 litre and a 2 litre petrol engine. The 1.2 litre motor dishes out 130hp and 230Nm of torque while its elder sibling, the 1.5 litre unit churns out 163hp and 280Nm of torque.
The larger 2 litre petrol motor happens to be the most powerful Mahindra which will be found on all critical Mahindra products. It will be powering the next generation versions of the XUV500, Scorpio and Thar very soon. Mahindra reports that the 1,997 cc engine will be able to dish out a commendable 190hp and 380 Nm of max torque. This 2 litre motor will come mated to a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed AT (from Aisin).
Mahindra’s focus in developing the mStallion range has been to engineer a petrol car which is fun to drive and has a diesel-engine like oomph factor, while ensuring no compromise on fuel efficiency. We must say that the figures shared by Mahindra look pretty good and it will be interesting to see how the next-gen Mahindras perform with the new mStallion motors.
