Mahindra Lifestyler to launch diesel-only as hybrid plans are 'under evaluation'

An electrified powertrain once promised by Mahindra for its new Lifestyler ute has slipped off the brand’s timetable, with an EV version now ruled out and little clarity on whether, or when, a hybrid engine will follow the diesel into showrooms.

The Lifestyler is likely to launch with the brand’s 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, while a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol has been earmarked for selected overseas markets.

Asked about pure-electric power, Mahindra head of international operations Sachin Arolkar told carsales this month: “Not in the pick-up segment.”

When pressed on whether the ute instead needed a hybrid engine option, Arolkar replied: “Just hold your horses for some time.”

Instead, Mahindra has committed to closely watching whether Australian buyers continue to warm to hybrid-powered pick-ups before committing to a final direction.

An electrified version of the Mahindra Lifestyler has been an “on-again, off-again” proposition for several years.

In 2023, Mahindra told carsales that it had consciously chosen to skip the hybrid step and move straight from combustion engines to full EVs. Its global product boss suggested Australia’s policy settings would make an electric version of the then-forthcoming Lifestyler more likely than a hybrid.

But by mid-2025, the script had flipped. Mahindra ruled out a battery-electric pick-up, but confirmed it still had plans for electrification of the ute, with automotive division president Velusamy R telling media that Lifestyler “during the launch, we will announce [hybrid plans].”

The glitzy reveal of the Lifestyler in Mumbai earlier this month included no reference to electrification, and the plan is understood to have been indefinitely delayed.

Speaking with carsales on the sidelines of the reveal event, Mahindra head of international operations Sachin Arolkar said the Indian brand was keeping tabs on the success of hybrid utes in Australia and assessing what it may need to do in response.

Asked about Mahindra’s range-extender hybrid tech that is known to be in development for the brand’s SUV models, Arolkar would not be pressed on whether it would be transferred to the Lifestyler.

Plugless full-hybrid tech is also in development for other vehicles in the Mahindra line-up, while the brand has rolled out a dedicated EV platform for a range of EVs.

The decision to back away from developing an electrified option for the Lifestyler range comes at a time when hybrid utes are going from strength to strength locally.

BYD sold 18,073 units of its Shark 6 PHEV ute in 2025 and has moved a further 10,709 examples this year. In June, the Shark 6 was Australia’s third-best-selling ute behind the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

Other contenders in the space include a growing range of plug-in GWM utes, as well as the Ford Ranger PHEV, which is accounting for an increasing share of fleet deliveries.

For buyers, technologies enabled by PHEV or range-extender utes can open up diesel-like range while offering the potential of cheaper urban running, massive torque, and the ability to run tools and camping equipment via vehicle-to-load from the traction battery.

While Mahindra has deferred key decisions regarding how it will build a Lifestyler hybrid, the brand is adamant that it is not ignoring or downplaying the trend.

The brand is pouring resources into developing a full-hybrid option for its XUV 7XO model and a new range-extender using a petrol engine as generator is in the works for the XEV 9e model, which currently offers only a fully electric powertrain.

However, there is now little clarity about which electrification strategy would suit the brand’s ladder-frame vehicles, including the Scorpio 4WD and Lifestyler ute, which have fundamentally different hardware to the brand’s car-based crossovers.

Still, a range-extender looks increasingly logical for the Lifestyler in the long term, with electric motors supplying necessary torque, a generator to preserve range, and a sizeable battery to cut CO2 while letting the ute run as a power bank.

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