Ssangyong Rodius II 11 seat MPV spotted in India

Team BHPian with the handle //M has spotted the Ssangyong Rodius II MPV at the Kandivali factory of Mahindra &Mahindra. Unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the 11 seater Rodius II MPV is said to be the next big launch from the Mahindra owned South Korean auto maker Ssangyong. While Mr Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of Mahindra &Mahindra has tweeted that he's excited about the Rodius II MPV's potential in the Indian car market, we've even had a report on the NDTVCar&Bike show, detailing that the Rodius II would be Ssangyong's next product launch in India. The Rodius II could be Mahindra's answer to the Tata Aria Crossover. 

Coming to the details of this MPV, the Rodius II is a large luxury MPV that's available with a range of seating capacities: 7, 9 and 11 seat options. The Rodius II is aimed at Europe, where the demand for luxurious people movers is high. The Rodius II, as its name indicates, is the second generation version of the MPV bearing the Rodius moniker. While the first-gen model of the Rodius was much derided for its looks, the second generation model's looks have found reasonable acceptance from most car enthusiasts when it comes to the style and design. Apart from its looks, the Rodius II MPV comes with Ssangyong's newly developed 2 liter e-xDi200 turbo diesel engine. 

The turbo diesel motor gets a variable geometry turbocharger and outputs 156 Bhp-360 Nm. The engine is mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard while a 5 speed automatic transmission is offered as an option. Both rear wheel drive and all wheel drive variants of the Rodius II MPV are available on the Euro-spec model. Coming to the big strength of the Rodius II, its space, the MPV features a 3 meter wheelbase, which liberates plenty of space on the inside. The MPV comes with a host of seating arrangements and creature comforts, with 7, 9 and 11 seat versions on sale in Europe. 

Creature comforts include cruise control, parking sensors, leather seat, electric seats with ventilation and a factory fitted infotainment system with Bluetooth, AUX and USB connectivity options. The MPV gets airbags, ABS+EBD, ESP and Anti-Roll Over Protection as standard. With Mahindra readying up what seems to be a test mule of the Rodius II, the MPV could well be on its way to a 2013 launch. A price that undercuts the Rexton W SUV and one that sits somewhere in the vicinity of the mid variants of the Aria could make the Rodius II a good bet for folks looking for a large and luxurious people mover.