Mahindra christens sub-4-metre sedan Verito Vibe

With Honda having debuted its sub-4-metre Amaze sedan this week, all eyes are now on Mahindra, which is set to bring forth its entry-level compact sedan soon. The Pune-based manufacturer today announced that they have named their soon to launch sub-4metre sedan – Verito Vibe. 

[Update (15/04/2013): Contrary to earlier belief, the Mahindra Verito Vibe appears to be a hatchback and not a compact sedan as can be gauged from some images floating on the web. Watch this space for more updates.]

Related: Mahindra Verito Vibe to launch on June 5

Speaking about the ‘Verito Vibe,’ Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “The Verito Vibe marks our entry in the high volume sub-4-metre segment. While developing this product, we have paid particular attention to making this car look different and we are sure that it will appeal to customers with its young and sporty looks and that too without compromising the benefits which our existing Verito has to offer.”

Mahindra hasn’t revealed much about the Verito Vibe aside from the fact that it will be powered by the same 1.5-litre diesel engine as the bigger sibling’s. There’s no mention of a petrol variant though the larger Verito does come with a 75PS, 1.4-litre engine. The Verito Vibe will benefit from reduced excise duty thanks to its sub 4-metre dimensions; hence expect pricing to be in the Rs 6-7.5 lakh range – similar to the Honda Amaze and Maruti Swift DZire

Mahindra aside, Volkswagen, too, is reportedly working on a sub-4metre Vento that’ll be slotted between the Polo and the larger Vento. The demand for entry-level sedans has been constantly on the rise and in catering to this segment, manufacturers might just be able to add the impetus required to turn around the sluggish market. Also read: Compact sedan segment in India set to rise