Mahindra 4x4 pickup

[4Rescue]

Exxon Mobil Corp. will spend more than $1 billion to boost output of “clean diesel” fuel at three oil refineries,

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6166616.html

Well, that's good news. but in reality what I'm refering to is localized mainly to N. America. The rest of the world has embraced Diesel and realizes that it need's Diesel cars and trucks to survive... N. America is a playground with alot of SLOW children on it and you can convince most Americans of ANYTHING, like the fact that Diesel fuel is a horibly poluting, noisy, loud, smoky, slow costly alternative to all those fine gasoline engines that the big 3offer...

Cheers

Dave

 

[mauricio_28]

I suspect the high price of diesel in the U.S. can be attributed in part to high distribution costs. The fewer the gallons sold, the more it takes per gallon sold to distribute it.

Here in Indonesia I currently pay US$1.66 for a gallon of bio-diesel, and I get 24mpg on my Nissan Frontier Navara.

 

[Gurkha]

For off roading, low maintenance, long life and good frugal engine with the right power curve for off road and on, nothing beats a diesel.

 

[4Rescue]

On topic: I'd love to see Mahindra brig their trucks here so we'll at least have a small truck with a Diesel option. Maybe when people buy them Totota and Nissan see what's hapening they'll give us they're amazing "other continents" trucks... God I would kill for a D4D Hilux...

Unfortunately with the economy the way it is and the fact that they keep putting the date of release off, I kind of get the feeling that maybe this will go the way of the "crosslander" read; not gonna hapen. I will be happy if it does though. Dad needs to replace his Jeep with something and he REALLY wants a Diesel but's he not buying another Jeep to get it...

Cheers

Dave

I suspect the high price of diesel in the U.S. can be attributed in part to high distribution costs. The fewer the gallons sold, the more it takes per gallon sold to distribute it.

Here in Indonesia I currently pay US$1.66 for a gallon of bio-diesel, and I get 24mpg on my Nissan Frontier Navara.

I would wager that the US alone (excluding Canada) uses more Diesel fuel in trucking and shipping than anyother country or continent for that matter... Just a thought, but we're REAL big users of fossil fuels here in the states, private vehicles are a smaller part of it than comercial rigs are. I suspe3ct that the reason Diesel fuel is so expensive is the same as why regular petrol is... Taxes: heating fuel (or Diesel without Red-dye) can be had for less than a dollar a gallon and our tractors run just fine on it... put it in your fuel tank, hit the road get pulled over, statey dips your tank and you've got trouble... Is it because there's any difference in heating oil and diesel??? No it's because that red dye says you've paid your road tax and that guy's salary... Follow the dollar and you'll find the reason for nearly anything that just doesn't seem right

 

[mauricio_28]

"You bought a Mah...Mahira, a what? You bought a lawmower or a car?!" will be the common response to your purchase. A year thereafter, Toyota brings out Tacoma, Nissan a diesel Frontier and Mitsubishi a diesel Triton, all with modern TDI engines. How happy are you gonna be with your Mahindra truck? What will its resale value be?

 

[UK4X4]

"the Mahindra will become the Yugo of the pickup trucks."

they used to sell the mahindra in the UK, untill they disolved in the UK climate

resell value......the value of the engine...as it had a peugeut diesel

I really don't any of you, once you'd compared it to toyo build quality would even think about it seriously

- aftermarket.....ha.....you'll be lucky to get standard parts

 

[roscoFJ73]

I would be wary about buying a Mahindra or Tata until its been well and truly looked over.

Ive had some close ups with these and the Ssangyong variation and they are no where near a Toyota in terms of development

The interiors squeaks,the sound pooofing is garbage and within a 100000 klms you will feel like you re in an unrestored 72 landcruiser.

People are going all ga ga because it has a diesel :bowdown:

For the cost of a Mahindra you could do a top notch diesel turbo conversion to a Landcruiser gasser

 

[Martinjmpr]

The words of caution are appropriate, but consider this: All of the things that are said about Mahindra (cheap quality, will fall apart, can't find support, what is that thing?) were once said about Toyota and Nissan trucks.

The only way a company can break into the US market is to offer something that the existing manufacturers don't. Typically the way they do that is by undercutting the price of the existing market vehicles.

Could Mahindra be the Yugo of pickups? Possibly, yes.

But you know, at the time that the Yugo was introduced, there was another low-priced brand that broke into the US market at the same time. Anyone want to guess which brand that was?
















Hyundai.

So, while it's certainly conceivable that Mahindra could be Yugo, it's also conceivable that it could be Hyundai, a company that started off in the US market as a bottom-feeder and through hard work and improving quality, worked its way up to the point where it's at least the equal of, if not superior to, the domestic brands, a kind of budget Toyota. Suzuki has undergone a similar transformation from budget-car maker to second-tier import.

What's needed now is a distribution network, and with the big 3 in crisis, I wonder if there could be an opportunity there. Many big 3 dealers will have to close down, and you have to wonder if some of them might not want to take a chance on this upstart Indian brand that could be the next Hyundai.

 

[mauricio_28]

Fair enough, but the choice at present is not between purchasing a Toyota/Nissan of three decades ago vs. a Mahindra of today. The choice at present is between a Toyota/Nissan of today vs. a Mahindra of today.

 

[4Rescue]

For the cost of a Mahindra you could do a top notch diesel turbo conversion to a Landcruiser gasser

Good point... And you'd probably have a far better built truck to boot.

Fair enough, but the choice at present is not between purchasing a Toyota/Nissan of three decades ago vs. a Mahindra of today. The choice at present is between a Toyota/Nissan of today vs. a Mahindra of today.

Actualy for us here in N.America if you want a Diesel toyota or Nissan you ARE looking at a several decade old (at least) vehicle... Or you're choping and swaping on a brand new truck (or the old one for that matter)

But you know, at the time that the Yugo was introduced, there was another low-priced brand that broke into the US market at the same time. Anyone want to guess which brand that was?
Hyundai.

That's ALSO a very good point, Hyundai with their new Genesis platform has really turned their market share around, and quite frankly they've been making decent cars and small SUV's for quite a while now. They haven't been to up-scale, but that's changing and if you look around, there are still lots of early 90's Hyundai's running around on the streets. Something you can't say for alot of the Big 3's cars of the same era.

Good point Martin. All we can do is wait and see eh... But I do agree that if toyota and Nissan see the light and bring in a competeitor Mahindra might just have trouble on their hands.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Martinjmpr]

Fair enough, but the choice at present is not between purchasing a Toyota/Nissan of three decades ago vs. a Mahindra of today. The choice at present is between a Toyota/Nissan of today vs. a Mahindra of today.

Which is why, if Mahindra wants to break into the US market, they'll either have to offer something nobody else does (i.e. small diesel) or they'll have to offer a truck that is significantly lower priced than the Toyota/Nissans of today.

A brand new 4x4 truck with an extended or double cab for under $20k could be very competitive in the market and may well tempt people to take the risk the same way they took a risk with those Isuzu [Chevy LUV] and Toyota 4x4 trucks back in 1980 and 81. Add a better-than-average warranty to the mix and you'd have a vehicle that was a serious challenge to the top-tier imports.

 

[Gurkha]

Whats fascinating is Toyota sells the small 2.2L D4D in India on its Innova MUV, its a gem of a engine and they have weeded out some early fuel issues when bad fuel would permanently ruin the pump. This engine is very durable and in the land where Mahindra is made, the taxi companies give Toyota the preference so that speaks volume. The interesting part is that Toyota rates its engine at a conservative 103bhp whereas Mahindra and Tata rate their 2.1L at 120 and 140bhp repsectively. Now tell me who do you think will last, I am sure not the Tata or Mahindra.

 

[haven]

Global Vehicles USA announced recently that the first examples of the Mahindra and Mahindra diesel pickup for USA customers will be built in India. The original plan had been to buy a plant in Ohio and assemble the pickup from kits delivered from India. There's a 25% import tariff on trucks imported from outside North America, but Global Vehicles USA says the trucks will be sold for the same amount as the units they planned to build in USA.

My reading of this is that the dealers who signed up to sell the new truck are not willing to wait any longer. Also, it's likely that, in today's financial climate, Global Vehicles USA is having difficulty securing financing for a new auto venture. It will be cheaper to start up using trucks built in India.

Production of the pickup for North America will start in India in September 2009. The MSRP will be announced at that time.

The company wants to sell the truck for 10% to 15% less than a comparable Tacoma. A 2009 Tacoma 4x4 double cab V6 automatic has an MSRP of about $28,000, so the similar Mahindra model would cost under $25,000.

The Global Vehicles USA people continue to say they expect an EPA rating of 30 mpg for combined city/highway driving. That Tacoma V6 4x4 is rated at 18 mpg combined. So fuel costs for the Mahindra would be lower, even though diesel is more expensive than regular unleaded.

Cargo capacity of the Mahindra is 2600 lbs. That's close to the rating of an F250 or Silverado 2500. In comparison, the Tacoma V6 4x4 cargo capacity is about 1400 lbs.

The problem for Global Vehicles USA is that domestic pickups are available at giveaway prices as GM, Ford and Dodge struggle to stay in business. And there will be a strong "Buy American" bias among potential fleet customers like electric or water utility companies. So the future is far from assured for Global Vehicles USA.

 

[DavidG]

Thanks for the update!

 

[roscoFJ73]

In Australia the Mahindra base single cab is $22000AUD or $14500USD.
The Hilux base model with turbo diesel $39000AUD or 25700USD.(made in Thailand)
I think australian prices include a 5-10% tariff and the vehicles in oz are usually sold as cab chassis,so you have to allow some extra for a tray

So even with 25% US tariff they should be well under Toyota by $7-8k