What's Wrong With This Picture: The Mahindra America's Been Missing Edition

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Mahindra may have screwed up its US distribution deal (OK, somebody screwed it up), but perhaps the problem was simply that the Indian firm hadn’t sufficiently motivated the American public. After all, we may love simple, rugged diesel-powered pickups here at TTAC, but third-world-chic isn’t exactly a mass-market trend in the US (yet…). No, what Mahindra needs to get its US-market plans back on track is this, the Mahindra Bolero Attitude, a “custom concept” that Mahindra has been teasing on Facebook. It’s got all the Eff-Off attitude of a Hummer (RIP), but Facebook users report between 30 MPG (13 km per liter in the city) and 35 MPG (15 kmpl) on diesel fuel. With numbers like that, America’s love affair with obnoxiously brash SUVs could just make a comeback…



Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Bugo Bugo on Oct 14, 2010

    That thing is grotesque. Way uglier than their pickup truck, which is ugly enough.

  • Mnm4ever Mnm4ever on Oct 14, 2010

    All you naysayers are effin crazy. This thing would sell like hotcakes, especially at the prices Mahindra is targeting. If it had even close to Wrangler-esq off-road capabilities, combined with a efficient diesel powertrain and wanna-be H2 looks, it would kill. Make it a 4-door and it would kill even more. All the Wrangler buyers desperately waiting for a diesel would be happy, the people who wanted an H2 but couldnt stomach the price and/or the crappy gas mileage would be happy. And no big name manufacturer would be competing, since no one else sells a small diesel truck. Sure its a bit over the top, but its a concept car, its supposed to be. Tone it down a bit for production, lose the Rubicon trail accessories and its really a very good design. This is the kind of design that would work for a small company like Mahindra, it would put them on the map, and possibly jumpstart the big guys into offering something different for a change.

  • Keith Most of the stanced VAGS with roof racks are nuisance drivers in my area. Very likely this one's been driven hard. And that silly roof rack is extra $'s, likely at full retail lol. Reminds me of the guys back in the late 20th century would put in their ads that the installed aftermarket stereo would be a negotiated extra. Were they going to go find and reinstall that old Delco if you didn't want the Kraco/Jenson set up they hacked in?
  • MaintenanceCosts Poorly packaged, oddly proportioned small CUV with an unrefined hybrid powertrain and a luxury-market price? Who wouldn't want it?
  • MaintenanceCosts Who knows whether it rides or handles acceptably or whether it chews up a set of tires in 5000 miles, but we definitely know it has a "mature stance."Sounds like JUST the kind of previous owner you'd want…
  • 28-Cars-Later Nissan will be very fortunate to not be in the Japanese equivalent of Chapter 11 reorganization over the next 36 months, "getting rolling" is a luxury (also, I see what you did there).
  • MaintenanceCosts RAM! RAM! RAM! ...... the child in the crosswalk that you can't see over the hood of this factory-lifted beast.
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