Indian automaker (and tractormaker) unveils SUV

PBinWA

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http://www.tribunechronicle.com/business/articles.asp?articleID=17113

Indian automaker unveils SUV

By HARRY R. WEBER The Associated Press



ATLANTA — Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. unveiled Thursday a line of sport utility vehicles and trucks that it plans to start selling in the United States in 2009.

The roughly 50,000 vehicles Mahindra is expected to manufacture in India and sell in the United States the first year will enter a crowded market.

But Mahindra and its U.S. importer, Global Vehicles USA Inc. of Alpharetta, Georgia, say the Mahindra vehicles will be set apart by their sleek design, affordability and fuel efficiency.

‘‘The consumers are really looking for something like this, particularly with the prices at the pump,’’ William Goetze, president of Global Vehicles, told reporters at a gathering at an Atlanta airport hotel to display the Mahindra line.

Final pricing has not been determined, but Mahindra’s 2-door single-cab pickup truck will be offered in the low $20,000 range and its 4-door truck and 5-door SUV, which seats seven, will be in the mid-$20,000 range. A high-end version of the 4-door truck will be in the high $20,000 range, Goetze said.

All U.S. vehicles will feature common rail diesel engines, six-speed automatic transmissions with two or four wheel drive depending on the model and 4-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranties.

Each is expected to get between 28 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon, officials said.

Model names for the trucks are still being determined, but the SUV that will be sold in the U.S. is Mahindra’s popular Scorpio model.

More than 200 dealers have been appointed to distribute Mahindra vehicles across the U.S.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., which also makes jeeps and tractors, is known for aggressively pricing its vehicles.
 

Junkman

Administrator
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., which also makes jeeps and tractors, is known for aggressively pricing its vehicles.

I didn't know that Mahindra is a division of Daimler Chrysler which owns the tradmark "Jeep" name...... :poke:
 

Mark777

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‘‘The consumers are really looking for something like this, particularly with the prices at the pump,’’ William Goetze, president of Global Vehicles, told reporters at a gathering at an Atlanta airport hotel to display the Mahindra line.

Final pricing has not been determined, but Mahindra’s 2-door single-cab pickup truck will be offered in the low $20,000 range



I recently read that the small pick up is to be released in late '08??

Here's a picture of the 2 door single cab diesel.

Mark
 

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California

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I didn't know that Mahindra is a division of Daimler Chrysler which owns the trademark "Jeep" name......
Mahindra has been building Jeeps in India for 60 years. I doubt they care what Daimler Chrysler thinks.

Detail from a photo at the Amber Fort (Jaipur), showing Jeep logo:
IMG_1581rJeepsAmberFort.jpg

Mahindra already makes a sort of CJ7 wagon and I would love to see them import a modern version of that. I will seriously consider buying Mahindra's SUV when they arrive.

Mahindra Jeep photos I took in India:

Indian Army Jeep (like CJ3)

'Willys Wagon'

old taxi jeeps on hwy

Mother Teresa's Mission transport
 
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Mark777

Member
Great Pictures California....

It was my understanding that Mahindra was granted license in 1947 to build Willy's and Kaiser Jeeps.

I'm only an hour away from their base facility (in Tomball, TX), corporate office and manufacturing-distribution center...I really should go and see (take camera) and find out all the hub-bub of the new Jeeps and SUV's.

Mark
 

Mark777

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Here's another picture from Auto Week that shows the '09 single cab Mahindra truck.
 

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Doc

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Good pic Mark. Kinda reminds me of the old Jeep pickup.
If it is priced right I bet it sells like hotcakes.
 

Av8r3400

Member
Note the most rear door on the "Willy's Wagon" picture posted above.

Does that allow for direct access to a third row seat I wonder?

If they can get the EPA to buy off on their diesel, I may be looking at one of these. Maybe the 4x4 SUV version hopefully with a manual trans...
 

California

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I think the proper name for the 'Willys Wagon' is Mahindra Marshal. Here's the first Google hit showing a premium version. It says up to 8 passengers. I think I see facing single seats in the cargo bay.

http://www.silverjubileemotors.com/mahindra.marshal.royal.php

I want one! I miss my Willys Wagons and similar '88 Trooper. Inexpensive, 100% utilitarian function, and go-anywhere capability.


And there's a similar Jeep pickup. They are common but this is the only one in my pictures, I think. Look in the background:

http://www.s93445617.onlinehome.us/sets/India04/9__Roadtrip_to_Jaipur/281IMG_1092Eicher1.jpg
 

Doc

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Those look exactly like teh Jeep front end. Could their be copyrights on designs? IOW will Mahandra have to modify that design so that it is at least a little different than the US Jeep before it is imported to the US?
 

Doc

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Can our Mahindra factory reps shed any light on when the Mahindra truck will be available, and how much they will cost?
 

GLAWALL

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The Mahindra trucks & SUV's is a different division than the tractors, but to the best of my knowledge they will be available in August or September 2008.
 

Bindian

Member
Anybody heard anything more on the Mahindra pickups. With diesel hitting over $3.30 a gallon:eek: down here and me driving 128 miles 4 times a week, I would really think of buying one of the little diesels.
hugs, Brandi
 

OhioTC18

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Anybody heard anything more on the Mahindra pickups. With diesel hitting over $3.30 a gallon:eek: down here and me driving 128 miles 4 times a week, I would really think of buying one of the little diesels.
hugs, Brandi

Snipped from the Web

Mahindra's current plan is to move into an existing facility so as to accommodate the company's aggressive timeline that would have vehicles in dealer showrooms by March 2009, said John Reinan, senior director at Fast Horse Integrated Marketing Services Agency, the firm that builds the brand in the U.S.

"I can confirm that Mahindra is looking at potential assembly sites in Ohio, but I cannot confirm specifics," Reinan said.
 
When did they submit these vehicles to the EPA for testing?

This was the hangup for the VW Diesel Jetta, it caused them to slip introduction in the US for over 6 months!!

And apparently, based on last data available...Honda has slipped their diesel model back to 2010!!
 
Anybody heard anything more on the Mahindra pickups. With diesel hitting over $3.30 a gallon:eek: down here and me driving 128 miles 4 times a week, I would really think of buying one of the little diesels.
hugs, Brandi

You want fuel milage Brandi--here ya go

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=457882
 

Bindian

Member
Get ready. Get set. Go........................................
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6326250.html
Automakers
Vehicles from India gearing up for U.S.
By PURVA PATEL Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
March 20, 2009, 11:15PM
1 2 3

PURVA PATEL Chronicle
Sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks based on the Mahindra Scorpio, like this one on display in Mumbai, are expected to debut in the U.S. this fall. The manufacturer claims the cleaner-burning diesel engine will get 30 miles per gallon.
Share Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! BuzzFacebookMUMBAI, INDIA — Car buyers who walk into Alan Helfman’s Houston dealerships later this year may see more than just Chryslers, Dodges and Jeeps. They might see a Mahindra.
Helfman is among the first dealers planning to sell Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra’s pickups and SUVs in the U.S.
Americans have bought Indian-made textiles, steel and software.
But will they buy a car made in India? Houston dealer Alan Helfman is betting on it.
“I think people are ready for it,” he said. “There’s a car from every country here now, so I don’t think that’ll be a big challenge.”
Mahindra plans to launch two- and four-door pickups in the U.S. during the fourth quarter, followed by a sport utility vehicle. The company is trying to position itself as a global brand, despite a global recession and slumping auto sales.
“The U.S. itself accounts for more than 50 percent of the world’s market,” said P.N. Shah, executive vice president of Mahindra’s international operations. “If you’re going to be a player in this segment, and you want to be a globally recognized niche player, you have to be in the U.S.”
Origins in WWII
Mahindra & Mahindra, which started out making SUVs by building Jeeps for Willys during World War II, last year exported 12,500 vehicles to 25 countries in Europe, Africa, South America, South Asia and the Middle East.
India’s largest SUV and tractor maker, Mahindra intends to enter the U.S. market at a daunting time. A recession, slumping auto sales and tight credit market, not to mention a shrinking pickup and SUV market, make for a formidable debut.
Pump prices have dropped as oil fell from $140 highs in July, offering some support to large-car sales. But consumer demand for green cars hasn’t dropped in tandem, and analysts don’t expect low gasoline prices to last long.
“They may not go directly back to $4 a gallon, but we would expect prices to range between $2.50 and $3.50 when the economy comes back and demand comes back in general for fuel,” said Jeff Schuster, executive director of forecasting at JD Power. Even if there was a high level of speculation factored into the oil when it sold at $140, it likely won’t stay down where it is.”
Mahindra hopes to ride the green movement’s popularity by equipping its vehicles with cleaner burning diesel engines. The vehicles, based on the company’s Scorpio model, will get an estimated 30 miles per gallon. The company is still awaiting environmental certifications from U.S. regulators, so official mileage figures are unavailable.
Auto experts note that if the company meets U.S. emissions standards, including more stringent regulations the Obama administration may soon allow states to impose, it faces financially strapped dealers and more prudent consumers.
Tata’s cheap car
India’s largest automaker, Tata Motors, made international headlines when it launched the world’s smallest and cheapest car, the $2,500 Nano, designed for the Indian market. But the Mahindra name isn’t necessarily as well known in the U.S.
“Consumers are so conservative in terms of what they’re buying. They’re sticking to brands they know,” said Michelle Krebs, editor of Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com.
The Mahindra name isn’t completely foreign to American consumers.
The company has made major inroads into the American farm equipment market since 1994. It’s the No. 3 tractor seller in the U.S., with its North American headquarters in Tomball.
From his office in the Mahindra Towers in Mumbai, Shah acknowledges the branding challenges ahead.
He notes Mahindra has invested in extensive market research and partnered with Georgia-based distributor Global Vehicles to be the face of the company in the U.S. A $60 million marketing campaign is in the works.
The recession will create opportunities to operate at lower costs, he said.
“We don’t need to spend substantive time and money to set up our distribution channel,” Shah said, adding he can cherry-pick dealerships in today’s environment.
$20,000 to $25,000
More than 300 dealers have signed agreements or letters of intent to sell the vehicles, including Helfman, who said he paid a fee of $150,000 for each of the three dealerships where he plans to sell the trucks.
“They’re very concerned about quality from what others have told me, so I’m pretty fanatic about it,” Helfman said.
Helfman expects the trucks to sell in the $20,000 to $25,000 range, though Mahindra hasn’t released an official sticker price yet.
The company’s Scorpio SUV is popular in India, even in cities, as the appetite for larger cars is growing among the well-heeled.
It’s easy to spot a Scorpio on Mumbai’s notoriously log-jammed streets as it towers above a frenzied jumble of hatchbacks, sedans, mopeds and rickshaws.
Nayan Vora, who owns a tile company in Mumbai, uses his Scorpio to drive his family around the city, where most cars are small hatchbacks or sedans, as well as to travel to his family farm a 100 kilometers away, about 62 miles, once a week.
“It’s a bigger car and a safer car,” Vora said.
“Once the rural area starts, the roads are pretty bad. There are parts where there are no roads.”
While the vehicle is sturdy enough for Vora, he says the ride pales in comparison to the American trucks he’s ridden in on visits to New York.
Initially the vehicles will be sent fully built to the U.S. and later sent in parts to be assembled in locations the company has yet to determine.
Mahindra has re-engineered the cars for the U.S., promising a smooth ride and more powerful engine.
More horsepower
The pickups, for instance, will have more horsepower and boast a six-speed automatic transmission and automatic stability control, features that aren’t standard in India.
“It’s the size of a Tacoma but has the capability of a Ford 150 or Tundra,” said Xavier Beguiristain, a vice president of marketing for Global Vehicles who recently left the company.
“What you’re seeing in India is not what’s going to be in the U.S. market, but it has the same toughness and ruggedness.”
 
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