US Mahindra Launch Pushed Back To "Middle Spring"

by Edward Niedermeyer

December 28th, 2009 4:53 PM

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us mahindra launch pushed back to middle spring

Not long ago we wondered what the hell Mahindra was up to, as the Indian firm had delayed its US launch seemingly indefinitely. Thanks to Pickuptrucks.com, we’ve learned that Mahindra still has yet to file paperwork for federal standards compliance, and that the launch date for its diesel Pickup has been pushed back to the nebulous date of “middle spring 2010.” Federal testing is complete, but Mahindra won’t submit compliance paperwork to the feds until January. The company reckons this bureaucratic hurdle will be complete by February, clearing the way for a product launch sometime around April. According to pickuptrucks.com, Mahindra will be offering two-door and four-door versions of its pickup at launch, both powered by a 2.2 liter diesel engine. Mahindra intends for its trucks to achieve 30 mpgs and 1.3 ton hauling capacity.

#Diesel #Mahindra #Pickup #Trucks

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6 of 27 comments

Eggsalad on Dec 28, 2009

This stupid thing comes up every few months on TTAC. Every time it does, I say the same thing: Vaporware. I'll bet $100 that this vehicle is NEVER sold in the US.

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- Baldheadeddork on Dec 29, 2009
  
  I'm beginning to think you're right. The economics have never made sense to me. At $12-14K Mahindra might have a chance even if it has Yugo interior quality and the NVH of a shopping cart. But they're talking about coming in at $20-23K and they're going to get killed at that price. For that money you can get a stripper half-ton or a modestly-optioned four-cylinder Tacoma/Ranger/Frontier that doesn't give up much in fuel economy and will actually be tolerable for more than an hour. Unless they've improved their interior and NVH by magnitudes and found ways to get the price a lot closer to $15K for a 2WD/2 door, they're going to get slaughtered when they do focus group testing. Add in that this is a really unfortunate time to get dealers to bet pay a couple hundred grand in franchise fees for a totally unproven brand and product, and then pile on a nearly 50% drop in gas prices since they first announced coming to the US and an evaporation of the recreational truck market, and the Mahindra looks like the answer to a question only diesel fanbois and nostalgic masochists are asking.
  
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- PrincipalDan on Dec 29, 2009
  
  Right 15 grand TOPS for a striped model and it will sell. Don't make the mistake of Chrysler with the first K-cars where the only one's on the dealers lot were loaded to the gills after you advertised a cheap starting price. Stripped diesel with 0 power options will in fact sell. It better be a rubber floored model too.
  
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FromBrazil on Dec 29, 2009

They've been selling these things for some time in Brazil, maybe 6 months. Though I live right smack dab in the middle of pick up country, haven't seen one of them on the road yet. Curiously though I have seen some Ssangyong monstruosities. So it probably proves that if the price is right Brazilians will buy about anything. To be fair, I don't think they have a dealership in my area yet. This will sell only to the very utilitarian (if it proves dependaple). The design is, well, Indian full of (disparate, to our Western eyes) lines, and circles, and suqares. Have you ever seen Pakistani and Indian trucks and buses? That's the inspiration (again very weird and very exaggerated to our western eyes).

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Bryan Scholtes on Dec 30, 2009

That promotional flyer reminds me of What's Up! Balloon to the Rescue.

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Obbop on Dec 31, 2009

A van body would attract more commercial buyers, I believe. And to house the growing number of Americans steadily sliding downwards to the 2nd-world level life-style (modified by closeness to the wee bit of trickle-down wealth) a cheapmobile that is reliable with a decent-sized van body could be a huge seller with a growing demand.

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