Mahindra Halts Development Of U.S.-Bound Truck

by Bertel Schmitt

July 11th, 2012 7:30 AM

What would we do without the neverending saga of the Mahindra brothers entering the United States of America with a truck? The publishing of white pages again has been prevented by the news that the U.S.-bound truck by Mahindra & Mahindra has suffered yet another of its many setbacks. The Indian company has halted development work on a pickup truck aimed at the U.S. market after a failure to win certification, Reuters says.

M&M planned to turn its Scorpio utility vehicle into a pickup. Work has been going on since 2006, around $100 million have been spent, and all for naught. Mahindra “decided not to proceed further with the project due to changes in the U.S. regulatory and market situation,” the company said in a statement.

American dealers sued Mahindra, alleging “intentionally delayed certification of its vehicles.” Mahindra says it’s not true.

#BertelSchmitt #India #Mahindra&Mahindra #Truck

Comments

Join the conversation

7 of 8 comments

Luke42 on Jul 11, 2012

Bummer. I'd been following the M&M truck in hopes that it would be a new diesel Ranger. It was always a long shot, I guess.

Like Reply
MarkP on Jul 11, 2012

Vindication at last. The very first time I saw a reference to this, I said it would never happen. All it took was a rational look at the vehicle and the people involved.

Like Reply
El scotto on Jul 11, 2012

Huh? If they can't get a truck certified, how are they going to get Korean made cars certified? I think there's more than meets the eye going on here. The market for a small, cheap truck with tractor like sophistication is wide open in the US.

Like Reply
- Les on Jul 13, 2012
  
  Methinks it's the 'tractor-like sophistication' that was the stumbling block. Gotta keep the regulators happy and what makes regulators happy these days is stuffing computers into everything.
  
  Like
Punkybrewstershubby aka Troy D. on Jul 11, 2012

With all of the excellent choices out there, except for a small DIESEL! engined pickup-truck choice, I don't think this was an incredibly big loss. Still would have neat to drive one, though.

Like Reply
- See 1 previous
- El scotto on Jul 11, 2012
  
  Think Ranger or S-10 sized trucks. Tacomas, Colorado/Canyon and Frontiers have grown to medium size. Uh, I think the previous 4 trucks are the only non full sized trucks for sale now days. Count me as a small truck guy, I think we're as onerous as the wagon guys :P
  
  Like
- Highdesertcat on Jul 11, 2012
  
  @el scotto I've never owned a modern compact truck. But it seems to me that when I got started with used trucks back in the sixties, those full-size trucks then were about the same size as the compact trucks of today. I know for a fact that my grandson's 2012 4dr 4X4 Tacoma SR5 is a hell of a lot larger and longer than my used IHC 4dr pickup truck was. And taller and wider too. There is a need for compact trucks, and Tacoma's got the market cornered with its many variants. Until Tacoma gets some real competition, don't look for Toyota to make major improvements to the Tacoma. Why would they mess with a good thing that is the best seller in that segment?
  
  Like