According to a report in Automotive News, the U.S. launch of the Mahindra compact pickup truck has been delayed.
Originally scheduled for a 2009 debut, Mahindra has delayed the truck's on sale date to February of 2010. A Mahindra spokesman confirmed the on-sale date and noted that start of production is now scheduled for the first week of December.
Minor exterior changes are being made to the truck. A new grille, hood and rear end are in the works, presumably to better suit American tastes. The truck has already been on sale in various world market for some time.
The Mahindra Pik-Up, its name in current markets, will use a 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder engine connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. It will offer both two- and four-wheel drive versions with either two- or four-doors.
Automotive News: Tweaks to truck delay Mahindra launch
brn says:
03:55 PM, 08/10/09
They're delaying their US debut for some minor changes? I call bullsh*t.
cwc1 says:
07:05 PM, 08/10/09
Who/where is Mahindra? China?
stephen987 says:
07:10 PM, 08/10/09
India. They've been selling tractors to very satisfied American customers for more than a decade. Now they figure the same no-frills folks will want a no-frills workhorse pickup that gets 25+ mpg and will tow a small building.
If they can build a decent dealer network, they may well be right.
oldturbo says:
07:54 PM, 08/10/09
This will make an excellent work truck.
mrbacon says:
08:29 PM, 08/10/09
Somehow I'm not really surprised by this delay.
P.S. - No manual transmission?!?!
08lr3 says:
09:59 PM, 08/10/09
well, at least they are not afraid to pack it with a diesel ! If it has a decent price / warranty / I would take a look for decent second home depot hauler
rwd_is_fun says:
10:51 PM, 08/10/09
Toyota used to fill this demand, small reliable trucks that didn't cost too much. It wouldn't surprise me at all if someone turned a very nice profit on small trucks once again.
rsholland says:
05:24 AM, 08/11/09
It may be small, but it's very capable, as in having a 2,600 pound payload. That rivals many full-size 3/4-ton domestic trucks.
Yes automatic-only, but it's a 6-speed automatic.
brn says:
06:44 AM, 08/11/09
"Toyota used to fill this demand, small reliable trucks that didn't cost too much."
Yea and now Ford fills it.
Also, don't expect Mahindra to match the affordable part. These things start at $28K and go up from there. I wouldn't count on their capacity ratings either. They're made up (just alike all others). Every review I've read of this vehicle overseas, slams it for build quality.
I'm not saying this truck doesn't have a place. I am saying that it can't live up to the expectations that are being set for it.
mahindranc says:
07:14 AM, 08/11/09
These trucks can be ordered through MahindraNC.com
dlibby says:
09:13 AM, 08/11/09
Skip the MahindraNC.com website. I went to thinking there would be useful info. There isn't and it is serious ad-spam.
iskch says:
09:16 AM, 08/11/09
If they are affordable I don't mind the competition for a small compact pickup that you can load.
I think this truck should be target to farmers or people that need a real heavy duty truck suspension. Not like the other mid or compact trucks that will SQUAT TO THE GROUND LIKE A HEN NESTING HER EGGS.
thegrocer says:
12:24 PM, 08/11/09
try www.mahindrana.com That's their official site for trucks...where in they claim 2,765 lb payload and 5,000 lb towing.
brn says:
01:39 PM, 08/11/09
Lots of made up numbers on both sides, but here we go anyway:
Mahindra Payload: 2765lbs
Ranger Payload: 1600 lbs
Mahindra Towing: 5000lbs
Ranger Towing: 6000lbs
Max Mahindra Box Length: 7ft
Max Ranger Box Length: 7ft
Mahindra base price: $25K-$28K (unknown)
Ranger base price: $16.4K
Mahindra best mpg: unknown/30/unknown (unverified)
Ranger best mpg: 21/26/23 (EPA verified)
It's difficult to make a better comparison, as the options are unknown. They both claim to be very capable vehicles, but sometimes in different ways.
I do want to point out the pricing. I'm not saying it's bad, as we don't know what's included in the base price. People keep thinking this is going to come in at a very low price. It's not.
This isn't a magic vehicle. It's just a vehicle.
mito says:
01:56 PM, 08/11/09
brn
Mahindra base price: $25K-$28K (unknown)
Where did you get these numbers from???
brn says:
03:38 PM, 08/11/09
mito, it was from some articles quiet a while back. Some said $25K. Some said $28K. I can't seem to locate them now. Who knows what it'll really be?
I threw in enough disclaimers to cover my butt. :)
inlinesix says:
06:54 PM, 08/11/09
couple places guess at low $20's for the Mahindra.
Here's one:
http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_m/Mahindra/20090715_pickup_truck.html
R&T says starting at $20,000
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=10&article_id=7856
zoomzoomn says:
05:41 AM, 08/12/09
I don't know why they are trying so hard to bring this vehicle here. The compact truck market is, at best, flat in this country now. Their small SUV would even have a hard time in what is a small, crowded segment as well.
brn says:
07:47 AM, 08/12/09
I think pricing (like mpg) is going to be a crap shoot until we get something official from Mahindra.
tdiluv says:
09:24 AM, 06/13/10
Maybe the big guys don't want this Vehicle here and Mahindra is up against all kinds of red tape. VW is prodcing a TDI pick-up and has no plans to sell it here.They will move substantial numbers in countries where fuel cost and efficient vehicles are important."See VW AMORAK PICK-UP"