Mahindra Readies Global SUV

India’s Mahindra & Mahindra says it will export its new XUV500 SUV to various Western European markets, plus Australia and South Africa later this year.

The Indian auto maker says the SUV will target Generation X buyers and will set the stage for its emergence as a “force to be reckoned with” in the global automotive arena.

Designed and engineered at Mahindra’s research-and-development center in Chennai, India, the XUV500 meets global standards of quality, technology, testing, regulations and emissions, the auto maker says.

The unibody SUV will be powered by a transversely mounted 2.2L diesel engine and built at Mahindra’s manufacturing facility in Chakan, India.

The vXUV500 will have a starting price of about RP1.2 million ($26,258). It will be distributed by Mahindra-owned South Korean auto maker Ssangyong, The Wall Street Journal says.