The Final Countdown for an Alabama-Mahindra Truck?

by Sajeev Mehta

Published: December 15th, 2011

This is one of my favorite music knock offs, the Hindi version of Europe’s “The Final Countdown”. My point? If the folks at Mahindra Planet are right, it’s only a matter of time before the Bollywood Music types rip off Skynyrd’s classic, “Sweet Home Alabama.” Which will be pretty awesome, I assure you!

The big box of a building in Muscle Shoals is rumored to be the future home of the Mahindra TR20 and TR40 compact pickups. The truck gurus at Navistar supposedly signed a 10 year lease on the facility this October: could the company that fought Ford tooth and nail take Ford’s compact truck market share once the Ranger officially dies next week?

the final countdown for an alabama mahindra truck

But let’s not get too excited about our prospects for a pure compact pickup, a stickshift, gutsy Miata with a bed if you will. Nothing’s ever perfect.

If the EPA figures are right, the TR40 is a bit of a buffet slurping Yankee. Considering the price volatility of diesel and the fuel economy of gas trucks, that’s a big problem. And who knows if these rigs have enough engineering prowess to overcome the road/dirt driving dynamics of a Tacoma. It’s same (potential) Achilles’s heel that put the Model T out of production and Chevrolet on the map. Then again, this interior shot suggests the TR isn’t a bad place to do business.

Rear HVAC vents? Not too shabby! Who knows what the future will provide?

Off to you, Best and Brightest.

#Alabama #Diesel #Mahindra #Navistar #Pickup #TR20 #TR40

Sajeev Mehta

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6 of 27 comments

"scarey" on Dec 15, 2011

Navistar should produce a diesel 4WD pickup and call it the Scout. And a "Scout" version also. I bet it would sell.

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- Scoutdude on Dec 17, 2011
  
  I agree, for obvious reasons.
  
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Andy D on Dec 17, 2011

The ideal truck for me would be an updated 50s 1/2 ton Chevy or Ford. I6, manual transmission, generally bare bones. Manual windows, Plain cab. Mebbe (definitely) Fly windows instead of AC

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- Threeer on Dec 17, 2011
  
  And there'd be a sale of exactly ONE...to you. unfortunately, as the death of the Ranger has proven, there isn't much of a business case here in America for small, basic pick ups. If it isn't at least as big as an SilverRam150...it just won't sell here. And that's a shame...
  
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- 400 N on Dec 18, 2011
  
  @threeer Rubbish, they're selling 15,000 per year in Canada, and in the US they're probably doing pretty good considering the age of the design. http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/driving-it-home/for-ford-canada-is-the-51st-state/article2268195/?service=mobile
  
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- Sajeev Mehta on Dec 19, 2011
  
  @threeer The Ranger died because of Ford, not anything else. Even though the compact truck market shrunk, their piece of the pie was large.
  
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