Mahindra Pickup Truck: India's first move into the U.S. auto market is with an American classic.

August 10, 7:30 AMPhiladelphia Autos ExaminerTodd Agostini

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     Now granted Ford is still making some Rangers, Dodge is making some Dakotas, and Chevrolet is making some Colorados, but Mahindra is attacking the compact pickup market with their version of this American classic. 

     India has been foaming at the mouth to enter the U.S. auto market and Mahindra's compact pickup will be their first offering. The compact pickup, which is actually slightly larger than Ford's Ranger, was originally to be built in India and imported by Global vehicles USA out of Atlanta and imported through a hub in Dallas, Texas. According to a WSJ article the trucks will now be produced at a plant in Ohio.

     The truck will all come standard with a 2.2-liter I-4 turbo diesel that provides 150 hp and a quite generous 300 lb. ft. of torque. The truck (not yet named) will come with a standard 4 year 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, an excellent value compared to the US standard 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. The trucks have the largest payload in the segment at 2,765 lbs. and a towing capacity of around 5,000 lbs. The engine is manufactured by Germany's BOSCH.

     These trucks will have a huge 7.5 ft bed, quite large compared to the standard 6 ft box on the competition. The estimated MPG is 30 and a hybrid version is expected to arrive sometime in 2010. 2 door and 4 door models will be available. 

     With this type of warranty, gas mileage, payload, and expected life cycle due to diesel reliability the Mahindra pickup should sell quite well. Preliminary estimates are at around 50,000 units. Expect fleet sales to be a decent part of the market.

      It looks like our NAPA auto parts, our local courier services, and yes our American teenagers will probably be seen driving in these new era pickups. An SUV from Mahindra will be hitting the market in 2010 or 2011. The distributor is setting up a dealer network of around 330 dealers nationwide.

     Standard ABS, traction control, 6 speed automatic, stability control, rollover mitigation, and an audio system with CD and USB; this pickup isn't hanging around waiting to see if someone wants to buy it. Mahindra is going after this segment as a viable market with untapped profit potential. Yes 4x4 is also available.

     Yes it seems that the Big 3 and even Nissan and Toyota have practically abandoned any focus on their version of this American Classic. With the potential fleet sales this truck could establish a nice base for Mahindra making a play with a full lineup over the next decade. The truck will be priced around $22,000 and $25,000.

For more info: Todd welcomes all correspondence at drivenbytodd@yahoo.com