Mahindra Verito hatchback / notchback to launch in September 2012

Mahindra & Mahindra is planning to launch a new Mahindra Verito-based 'hatchback' in the Indian market by September 2012. The news cropped up after an official announcement was made by Mr Arun Malhotra, senior vice president of sales and customer care at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

“We have plans for Verito. We will launch a hatchback version of the car four months from now,” Malhotra said. 

It should be noted that, Mahindra & Mahindra could be referring to the upcoming new model as a hatchback instead of a notchback. The reason for this - we are assuming - could be partly that the Indian market is not quite well-versed with the idea of a notchback or partly because a hatchback simply means a vehicle with its fifth door opening upward along with the windshield - irrespective of the form-factor. Remember the Skoda Octavia? 

Whichever way it is, Arun Malhotra further states, "We are known to be commercial vehicles and SUV makers. We do not have the expertise or the technology for sub-compact vehicles." 

So, there. That should rest all the assumptions that Mahindra is bringing in a hatchback/small car based on the Verito, when in fact it could be a notchback / compact sedan that is paving its way in the Indian market.

Having said all of the above then, our mind goes back to a thread that started on Team BHP when a member spied a test mule of the Mahindra Verito (seen in the image above.) We now reckon that is quite possible that the Vertio in the picture, is in fact the new upcoming Mahindra Verito notchback. With a September 2012 launch scheduled for the said vehicle, our belief is cemented further because no other Verito based compact cars have been caught on test yet!

Sadly, there aren't many details available yet about the new model. Apart from the fact that it will be built using the same platform as the full-size Verito and will be manufactured at the company's plant in Nasik. It will certainly be below 4 meters in length to take advantage of the lower excise duty, which in-turn will bring down the cost of the notchback. It is most likely that Mahindra will power its new hatchback with  the same Renault sourced K9K 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine that does duty in the Verito. 

Image credit - Team-BHP.com