Your chance to be among the first to test drive a new Mahindra pickup
Are you holding out for a Mahindra trucks and wondering how they stack up against more established brands? Then you need to head on over to Mahindra's Web site and sign up for some seat time.
Mahindra importer Global Vehicles is all set for a fourth-quarter 2009 launch of their first offerings from India and is taking names for early test drives. From what we can gather from the company's U.S. Web site, they'll be parading around the country soon, giving interested pickup shoppers a spin around the block in its two- or four-door diesel-powered pickup trucks. On the site, there's a lot of bragging about the two-door's seven-foot bed (Toyota's Tacoma has a six-footer), four-year, 60k-mile warranty, six-speed automatic trans, and clean-burning, four-cylinder diesel engine.
No word yet on, well, a lot of things. Like what cities this national tour will be trucking through or even when it will begin. More importantly, the company has said it has 325 dealers lined up, but still hasn't brought up pricing, EPA fuel economy numbers, crash test ratings or an exact date that sales will begin. For now we'll have to make do with the vague "fourth quarter of 2009" and the promise of an early test drive.
[Source: All Cars All the Time]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Mike P. 6:43PM (6/18/2009)
This utilitarian truck should sell like hotcakes if buyers can get over the "Indian" stigma.
Refinement and crash test ratings don't really matter if it primarily does farm duty. It's not like the Ford Ranger is the safest car on the market, either. It's cheap, cheap to repair, and practical... everything the F-150 used to be but isn't anymore.
Sure, there are people who need trucks with better safety ratings, ride, and amenities, but there are already trucks that fit that bill... so the Mahindra fills a niche nicely.
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airswingman 7:06PM (6/18/2009)
What is it? a truck from india?
Rob 8:03PM (6/18/2009)
With so many new cars full of unneeded luxuries, being fat, overweight, and inefficient, I welcome a small, trim, and basic form of transportation like this vehicle.
Javanese 2:29AM (6/19/2009)
We have this vehicle on sale in our country, to say it's SH1T is an understatement. I rather have an elephant sit on me than to sit in one of these POS.
LOL at all the indian readers vote positively on any comment that even HINTS that this truck is going to be any good.
Juggernaut 4:49AM (6/19/2009)
doood... chillax... it's not gonna save the planet....
it'll just be an option .... like a Subaru BRAT... and to my knowledge... the BRAT wasn't really free from Stigma during its day... and dissing the indian readers... is really below yourself...
kevan 6:49PM (6/18/2009)
I would certainly buy this truck for the fact it utilizes a clean burning diesel engine. The only thing it lacks is a snorkel. Amazing product. I cannot wait!!!
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BloggerNo1 7:50PM (6/18/2009)
LOL! Promoting product from your country. Everyone knows that Indians buy only a camry, accord or a corolla.
banan 9:12AM (6/19/2009)
@ BloggerNo1
the store manager from my job is Indian and drives a honda civic. another Indian worker drives a Jeep Cherokee. Is that an Indian stereotype? Looks like a good enogh truck to tow my jet ski!
kevan 9:18AM (6/19/2009)
@BloggerNo1 A+ for making yourself look like an idiot. I'm in Knoxville, TN and come from European and Russian decent. I do look forward to this great vehicle hitting the streets of America though. I feel it's a very functional option compared to the other small trucks on the market.
Jimmy Mack 6:50PM (6/18/2009)
Unless Ford, Dodge or Chevy get there act together with a high mileage diesel, Mahindra could be getting our companies cash for clunker money.
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Erik 6:51PM (6/18/2009)
Awww man, the photos show a stick. How we get shafted with automatic only?
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Cornholio 10:31PM (6/18/2009)
Agree - a manual trans would be a the perfect option for this truck. So close...
thxcolm 6:53PM (6/18/2009)
It reminds me of the old late 1960's early 1970's Toyota pickups. I agree, that some people just need a truck to haul stuff around. I'm amazed that this pickup can have such a large payload capacity.
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Bobmarley 9:15AM (6/19/2009)
I was gonna say the same about the looks... which isnt a bad thing. I love the older toyotas especially the early 80's with 22r's. I also like the idea of basic truck with only the essentials
BrandonIT 11:25AM (6/19/2009)
I was also going to say the same thing about this new line of trucks resembling the early Toyota 4WD pick-ups and range rovers. They were tough, dependable, and you didn't mind taking the thing off-road or pulling stumps or whatever with them because they were cheap and easy to repair and they weren't the best looking vehicles to begin with so a scratch or dent here and there just added to the character - the essence of a utilitarian truck.
Diego3336 7:14PM (6/18/2009)
I'm from Brazil and there a (very) few Mahindras here. They are built as a licensed product in a factory in Manaus. I saw one last year on São Paulo Auto Show and it seems to be a very robust product, with nothing more than necessary to work and off-road use. There's an 'wagon' version too. The 'purpose' of these vehicles is very similar to a Land Rover Defender in many ways.
I'd buy one if I had money.
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Jim R 7:17PM (6/18/2009)
I'm interested to see how this stacks up against my dad's Ford Ranger. It looks to be just as good, and probably better at some things. I must admit I'm curious.
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alexacoon 7:19PM (6/18/2009)
If anyone gets a chance to sit in and drive one of these I'm really curious how much room it has for a six footer (the single cab) my single cab ranger was ok but you couldn't recline the seat a single notch pushed all the way back where i needed it :D
I don't truly need a truck but if the around town (suburbs) mpg is impressive it wouldn't be a bad pick for New England winters.
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xtasi 7:23PM (6/18/2009)
as Mike P. said above, it's good for people that need to use a truck for it's purpose (haul, tow) not the kind that you put 24" wheels on it and only take it to a club.
Good to see that people that actually need a truck will have another option.
4yrs/60K miles sounds odd, it's probably more realistic then the 10yr/100k miles anyways... I think most people drive more then 10k miles a year. I wonder why they wouldn't go 5yr/60k miles. Probably would be same result to the owners, but it looks like a larger number... sadly, perception is reality.
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Diego3336 9:30PM (6/18/2009)
The specs of the brazilian-built Mahindra is:
2.6 l4 Electronic - Naturally-aspirated Diesel
110hp @ 3800 rpm
207lb-ft @ 1800~2200 rpm
There's no mileage data available on the official site.
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