Mahindra Vision S Shows Off Its Advanced Independent Rear Suspension [Video]
Mahindra has been actively testing the Vision S SUV in India. Spy sightings have lately become more frequent. The latest ones show the vehicle in a closer-to-production form. One of the recent spy videos shows an interesting detail of the Vision S- its independent rear suspension!
In the latest spy video, we can observe that the test mule is equipped with an independent rear suspension setup. Rear independent suspension is not something that we have seen on small SUVs. The Vision S will be a sub-four metre product and the first of its kind to feature the technology.
In Mahindra’s current lineup, the XUV 7XO is the most affordable model offering an independent setup at the rear. Including this technology can often make small SUVs more expensive than what they should ideally be. This is one reason why carmakers refrain from doing so.
Having a rear independent suspension has a lot of advantages. It can bring major improvements in the ride comfort and road manners of vehicles. It can even improve braking stability. The Vision S will pair the rear independent suspension setup with Davinci dampers, unlocking the best experience. This SUV will likely be sharp around corners and deliver a smooth, comfortable ride even on rough patches.
Here’s another important detail about the Vision S. Watch the video again, carefully. You’ll notice rear drive axles on the car. Since it has an independent rear suspension, the drive shaft is likely placed above and is not visible in the clip. These axles confirm the presence of AWD. Towards the end of the clip, when the mule turns to the right, we can clearly see AWD in action.
The Vision S will be a monocoque SUV, built on a FWD (Front Wheel Drive) native platform. All Wheel Drive is likely to be kept exclusive to the higher trims. The FWD/ AWD nature of this product seems to have facilitated the integration of rear independent suspension without breaking cost barriers.
Underpinning the Vision S will be Mahindra’s newly-developed NU_IQ platform. This SUV platform has a wheelbase of 2665mm and will also support ground clearance of up to 227mm! The NU_IQ was revealed at the carmaker’s FREEDOM_NU event in August last year.
Back then, it was also announced that this platform will use a five-link independent rear suspension- the same that we see in the video above. Mahindra even said that NU_IQ-based SUVs will have the best suspension setups in their respective segments. The Vision S ( and other NU_IQ products) will also come with variable-pitch steering technology.
The Vision S previews the future of Mahindra’s portfolio. The carmaker has developed it from scratch. It sits on a brand-new FWD native platform, has a monocoque construction and will likely have a new set of engines as well. Choosing a FWD native platform as the base was indeed clever.
Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) vehicles can develop wheel hop issue if the vehicle isn’t long enough. The Vision S spans under four metres in length. We have seen such issues with models like the Quanto and Mahindra even had to give them a mechanical locking differential (MLD) as a fix. The NU_IQ platform addresses these concerns with its FWD nature and AWD support.