Mahindra P601 (new Maxximo) light truck spied

Mahindra is developing a new light truck in the sub-2 ton segment. The company has been testing the vehicle near Chennai.

Tamil motoring magazine, Motor Vikatan has obtained pictures of the vehicle, which it says has been codenamed P601. It is believed that the vehicle could be the new Maxximo which is Mahindra's rival for the segment-leading Tata Ace.

The pictures show that the P601 has new headlamp clusters with separate turn-indicators, quarter glasses for the windows and a rear-mounted exhaust. The truck carries its spare wheel on the right side, below the loading bay, while the battery is located on the left.

The P601 has a large cabin with basic controls, a dashboard-mounted gear lever and separate seats.

The current Maxximo is powered by a 909 cc, 2-cylinder, diesel engine producing 26 Hp and 55 Nm of torque, coupled to a 4-speed manual gearbox. The P601 could use the same engine with a few changes.

The P601 will be manufactured at Mahindra's upcoming plant in Cheyyar, Tamil Nadu.