Mahindra TwoWheelers inaugurates Research and Development center at Pune

Two wheeler major Mahindra TwoWheelers inaugurated its spanking new Research&Development facility at Pune. This facility, into which Mahindra has already pumped in INR 100 crores will receive a further input of INR 500 crores towards developing new products in the coming years. Along with the inauguration of the new R&D facility, presided by Mr Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Mahindra group, Mahindra TwoWheelers made a few key announcements regarding future products for the Indian two wheeler market.

Standing from L to R : PS Ashok, Head – Research and Development, Mahindra Two Wheelers, Viren Popli - VP - Strategy & Market Development at Mahindra Two Wheelers, Anand Mahindra - Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group and Anoop Mathur, President – Two Wheeler Sector

A couple of key points about Mahindra TwoWheelers’ R&D facility are as follows,

* The facility currently houses 175 engineers, with the number to go up to 300

* The center plays host to a state-of-the-art Engine Development Center (EDC), vehicle design & development facility, testing facilities, prototype center, design studio, Fatigue Test Lab, etc.

The first big announcement coming on the back of the inauguration of the facility is that Mahindra will relaunch the Stallio 110 four stroke commuter motorcycle before the festive season of Dusshera-Diwali. The Stallio 110 that will be relaunched will feature a redesigned 110cc four stroke engine. The motorcycle model, which was pulled off the market due to gearbox gremlins is expected to be a vastly improved model as it is expected to lead Mahindra’s foray into the ultra competitive and high volume commuter motorcycle segment dominated by the likes of Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and Honda.

Mahindra TwoWheelers also showcased the engine of the Stallio along with a 292cc four stroke single cylinder engine. This 292cc engine that operates on four valves with a DOHC layout comes with liquid cooling and fuel injection. This engine will pump out over 25 Bhp of peak power and will be first used on the Mahindra Mojo, a motorcycle that was first unveiled in 2010, following which it was also showcased at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. This motorcycle will finally be launched in 2013, sometime between January and March, as the brand’s flagship vehicle. Mahindra also has a 3rd motorcycle on the anvil, details of which remain unknown at this point in time.

Also, Mahindra showcased a Micro Hybrid version of the Duro Dz110 automatic scooter. Micro Hybrid in Mahindraspeak refers to a idle stop/start stop system rather than having to do anything with hybrid technology. This technology that cuts fuel consumption and tail pipe emissions by about 5-10% in high traffic conditions works by shutting down the engine if it idles for more than a fixed amount of time. Starting the engine back again will be seamlessly achieved by twisting the accelerator. Mahindra also announced that it was open to building electric two wheelers in the future by leveraging its EV unit acquisition, Reva Electric.