Automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra on Friday announced the national launch of its mini passenger carrier, Maxximo Mini Van VX, in Gujarat, the largest market for Maruti Suzuki’s Omni and other mini vans, accounting for 10% of national sales.
Priced between Rs 3.7 lakh and Rs 3.8 lakh, the new product is eight-seater, powered by a two-cylinder 909 cc diesel engine developed by M&M and will be available in both BS-III and BS-IV compliant options, said Mr Arun Malhotra, Senior Vice President, Sales and CustomerCare (Automotive Division).
The non-air conditioned Maxximo Mini Van VX, is an improved and enlarged version of the existing mini vans. The multipurpose van, manufactured at M&M’s plant at Chakan, Maharashtra, is expected to corner a significant chunk of the market with its 18-20 km per litre mileage, Mr Malhotra added.
The mini van industry in India is around 20,000 per month, including Maruti’s Omni and Eeco accounting for 12,000 units, and is growing at 10%. Mini vans are emerging as the choice of both the entry-level contract carriage and the stage carriage segment.