Mahindra Truck will be here 4th Quarter

michigandon

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2006
Location
Wake Forest, NC
TDI
1998 A3
mavapa said:
Michigandon, pretty neat. Did that thing take off as well as it looked like?
Ohhhhhhh yeah. :cool: It's got a 4:56 rear end in it though:eek:, so cruising speed is limited to ~60-65 MPH (it likes 60 best).

Top speed is ~79MPH.
 

boutmuet

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
Long Beach, CA
TDI
2015 BMW 328d
Good for them for sticking with diesel.. would like to know how they will pass EPA though. Boy that truck is ugly.
 

Oberkanone

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 16, 2001
Location
NW Indiana
TDI
13 Jetta TDI Premium manual "gone"
Mahindra update

Expect Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.’s first U.S.-market offering to make its showroom debut in first-quarter 2010.
In deference to the demanding nature of American consumers, Mahindra tweaked the yet-unnamed small pickup, which delayed by about three months its production launch, Ward’s learns.
Output of U.S.-specification models now is set for December at the auto maker’s assembly plant in Nasik, India, with showroom arrival scheduled for early to mid-February.
Meanwhile, Mahindra has shelved tentative plans to build the 2- and 4-door models, known internally as TR20 and TR40, respectively, in Ohio.
Domestic production “is something that is on the agenda to be pursued at another time,” says Larry Daniel, senior vice president-sales and marketing, of Mahindra’s U.S. arm, Global Vehicles U.S.A. Inc.
In a telephone interview from Global’s headquarters in Alpharetta, GA, Daniel tells Ward’s he expects Mahindra to “make an investment and employ some Americans” when industry volumes begin to trend upward.
Through June, small pickup sales in the U.S. totaled 131,290 units, a shortfall of 43.1% compared with the first six months of 2008, according to Ward’s data.
U.S.-specification truck closely resembles model launched last week in Australia.
Target volume for Mahindra reportedly is in the 50,000-unit range.
To make the truck more appealing to U.S. consumers, its front end was restyled and now features “jewel-like qualities,” adds Max Butler, Global vice president-marketing. The U.S.-specification truck closely resembles the model launched last week in Australia, he says.
The truck will be powered by a 140-hp 2.2L 4-cyl. diesel engine with projected combined city-highway fuel-economy of 30 mpg (7.8 L/100 km). Available with 2-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive, it also will feature a 6-speed automatic transmission and electronic stability control.
Despite a 2,633-lb. (1,194-kg) payload rating that rivals the fullsize Ford F-250 Super Duty – Ford Motor Co. data show four trim levels with payloads under 2,600 lbs. (1,170 lbs.) – Daniel anticipates outdoors enthusiasts will outnumber work-oriented buyers 3:1, with the latter demographic gravitating toward the 2-door model.
Steve Taylor, president of Ohio-based Taylor Automotive Group, is one of more than 300 dealers who look forward to selling Mahindra vehicles.
“We’re thinking we can lease (the pickup) to small businesses,” Taylor tells Ward’s, adding the diesel engine likely will become a selling feature as gasoline prices increase.
The per-gallon average price of diesel fuel in the U.S. was $2.58, $0.06 higher than the pump price of gas, according to the American Automobile Assn. But diesel engines are 20% to 30% more efficient than their gasoline-burning counterparts.
Particularly enthusiastic about the prospects of Mahindra SUV expected to arrive in mid- to late-2010, Taylor also is buoyed by results of an AutoPacific study that says American consumers are warm to an Indian-brand vehicle. “It’s a world market and it’s on a roll,” he says.
Related Stories
Mahindra Schedules Second Plant to Supply U.S. Market in 2009
Positive Perception Double-Edged Sword for China, India OEMs
The study findings are consistent with Mahindra’s vision of a customer base that comprises “independent thinkers,” Daniel says.
“They don’t really care about what people think about what they’re driving,” he adds. “They’re influencers. They’re not followers. I think they’ll be out there with their kayaks, and they’ll be out hiking and doing all the things (like putting) surfboards on top in California.”
Says Butler, noting Mahindra’s track record as India’s top truck maker: “This is a very robust product. It’s based on and built for an environment where it has to hold up very well.”
Daniel does not expect the names TR20 and TR40 to pass muster within Mahindra’s marketing ranks because of its similarity to Toyota Motor Corp.’s TRD trim levels. The Toyota Tacoma, along with the Nissan Frontier and Dodge Dakota, are among the trucks Mahindra is targeting as direct competitors.
Daniel favors the Australian nameplate: Pik Up. “That hit me and I like it,” he says, promising Mahindra’s pricing strategy will “blow away” the segment.
However, Daniel does not reveal numbers.
 

mavapa

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Location
rome, ga
TDI
2001 golf
All the quotes seem to be from the US marketer. I'm still planning not to hold my breath. I also have to wonder at a 2600+ load rating. Will it be able to get out of its own way, or will it be like the old Ford 6.9 diesel?
 

mgwerks

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Location
Texas Hill Country
TDI
black 1999 New Beetle
It was a great engine - ultra reliable and used from pickups through medium duty commercial trucks. Unfortunately, it wasn't as powerful as some might have liked. Personally, I love my 2000 PowerStroke.
 

mavapa

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Location
rome, ga
TDI
2001 golf
There was an old 6.9 prior to the 7.3. That's the one to avoid because it's not very powerful.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Meh, 170hp and 310tq is plenty for most folks. I have driven a few of them they always seemed to do OK by me. The gas 5.8L V8 of the same period only had about 150hp and about 270tq. It could easily rev faster, of course.
 

kcfoxie

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Location
Raleigh, NC
TDI
'12 6-spd JSW
My dad has the 5.8L 2000 model, so if the 6.9 is comparable I think he'll be just as happy.

Really, I want him in a Mahindra, he sounds interested, but I know a 2000 F250 is cheaper.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
kcfoxie said:
My dad has the 5.8L 2000 model, so if the 6.9 is comparable I think he'll be just as happy.

Really, I want him in a Mahindra, he sounds interested, but I know a 2000 F250 is cheaper.
5.8L was not around in 2000. Last year was 1996 in the E-vans and 1998 in the F250 HD. The Triton modular 5.4L replaced the 5.8L engine. The early 5.4L (like a 2000 would use) makes 260hp and 350tq....it would easily whoop up on the old 6.9L.
 

TurbinePower

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Location
Upstate SC
TDI
None
Isn't the newest Powerstroke back to 6.9L displacement? Or are they running 6.4?

I know the new Cummins is a 6.7L. I want to say that the new Duramax is a 6.8 and the new Powerstroke is a 6.9?
 

mavapa

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Location
rome, ga
TDI
2001 golf
This is getting off topic, but I had a 1986(?) Ford F250 with the normally-aspirated 6.9-liter diesel. It did not get great mileage and was pretty slow, especially with any kind of load. It really needed a turbo. But that engine is long gone, replaced by the 7.3-liter and then by what's called the Powerstroke today. There is no comparison between the old Ford diesel and the current one.
 

AncientMariner

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Location
Atlantic Ocean
TDI
05 Passat
now we've gotten to my territory.
83-87 were 6.9 liter IDI NA
87-94 were 7.3 liter IDI NA Technically the only differences were glowplug controller, better rockers, better seals for the valves, 1/2inch headbolts as opposed to the 7/16 for the 6.9 The bad part? to get 7.3 liters, the 6.9 was bored out 110thousands, which made for cavitation issues and otherwise weak cylinder walls.
93-94 the 7.3 liter IDI turbocharged as an option... was an ATS system, garrett turbo charger.
After 94 the powerstrokes began, with the 7.3DI (totally different engine than the 7.3IDI)

Anyway, I have a 7.3IDI with an turbo, intercooler, different spec'd pump, etc that makes around 250hp 550ft lbs. My truck is 9200lbs and does 0-60 in under 10 seconds. I have no problems with power, and can fix it on the side of the road anywhere.

Drew
 

buckeye96

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2005
Location
Alexandria, VA
TDI
2005 Jetta ?
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/07/u-s-mahindra-pickup-reportedly-stalled-until-february/

It's apparently tougher than Mahindra first thought to break into the American pickup truck market. According to a report by PickupTrucks.com, Pawan Goenka, Mahindra's president of automotive operations, told reporters in India, "We will start production of Mahindra 'Pik-up' utility vehicle by December this year for the U.S., and by end-February next year, the vehicle will be sold there."

For those keeping track, this is the second major delay announced by Mahindra, bringing the truck to the United States just about a year later than originally planned. Even Global Vehicles, the chosen distributor of the trucks in the States, was caught off guard by the decision. Granted, a delay is certainly more palatable than a botched launch attempt.

When it finally does hit in February of 2010, expect the truck to come in both TR20 (two-door) and TR40 (four-door) style and come equipped with a standard 2.2-liter four cylinder diesel engine that should return 30 miles per gallon and tow up to 1.3 tons. Pricing reportedly won't be announced until September.
 

mavapa

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Location
rome, ga
TDI
2001 golf
I would take a towing capacity that high with a grain of salt until I saw some real-world testing. It's possible to give a high tow rating to a vehicle that can't really handle that much weight because of the vehicle's own weight, its wheelbase, or other reasons.
 

kcfoxie

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Location
Raleigh, NC
TDI
'12 6-spd JSW
yes the liberty crd is rated for 5000lb but many say that it can go up to 6300 without problems, jeep didn't want to cannibalize the v6's sales due to the diesel's ability.
 

michigandon

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2006
Location
Wake Forest, NC
TDI
1998 A3
kcfoxie said:
jeep didn't want to cannibalize the v6's sales due to the diesel's ability.
Yeah, God Forbid that the 29MPG model ever outsells the 18MPG model!

And then the incompetent jackasses sit around and act like they ain't smart enough to figure out why they're bankrupt. :rolleyes:
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
michigandon said:
Yeah, God Forbid that the 29MPG model ever outsells the 18MPG model!

And then the incompetent jackasses sit around and act like they ain't smart enough to figure out why they're bankrupt. :rolleyes:
I could not have said it better myself. Good job! :)

BTW, this same bankrupt company continues to sell diesel-powered [insert any car from the US lineup here] in Europe.
 

michigandon

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2006
Location
Wake Forest, NC
TDI
1998 A3
oilhammer said:
I could not have said it better myself. Good job! :)
Who do ya think I've been getting my lessons from? ;)

BTW, the Chrysler Proving Grounds is a very sorry sight right now. The grass needs to be cut something fierce, the landscaping is all going to Hell in a handbasket. Just a flat out bummer to see such what has been such an important facility in this area for so many decades go into decline no matter how you slice it. :(
 

Rickstah

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Location
Yukon, Oklahoma
TDI
NB, 2002, green, Eurotek STG1
buckeye96 said:
those towing numbers aren't right. That 1.3 tons is for payload. According to NYT the towing capacity will beat the dodge dakota and other mid-sized pick-ups. I think I read it was 5k-7k lbs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/automobiles/28MAHIND.html
well that sounds more reasonable, and the 1.3 makes a little more sense for payload, although it still sounds like a lot. Thanks. 5k-7k would work
 

kcfoxie

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Location
Raleigh, NC
TDI
'12 6-spd JSW
oilhammer said:
I could not have said it better myself. Good job! :)

BTW, this same bankrupt company continues to sell diesel-powered [insert any car from the US lineup here] in Europe.
Don't they sell some of the CRD models in Canada due to diesel's popularity up there? Or am I delusional?

I had hoped to import a Canadian Town and Country CRD.... guess I should keep my eyes set on a Vanagon TDI.
 

ac5501

Active member
Joined
May 15, 2006
Location
South East MI
TDI
2006 Jetta Pkg2
The term vapor ware comes to mind here. I'm now starting to believe that we will never see these vehicles.
 
Top