who the hell will buy this when we already have so many trucks for sale here??

Umm. If we had this forum long ago when Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc first can to America, people would have posted the same thing…

I can see some people buying the pick up truck if its dirt cheap, but if they come out with an SUV with the same looks and quality they don’t have a chance…

The only small truck we have is the Ford Ranger. Everything else, like all cars/trucks these days, has grown in size and weight and price. Tacoma, Dakota, Colorado are no longer “small.” They are now mid-size and can easily start at $18,000. The Ranger is old and outdated, so this Mahindra has a great opportunity.

Mahindra has a great opportunity in this economy. A new truck, dirt cheap, with a warranty? Who might want that?

Add a diesel that pulls like V8 with economy of a sedan. It does not have to be cheap to by if it is cheap to operate. The only minus is that I am not sure it comes with slush box: most of our drivers never drove manual and would be confused by number of pedals.

My parents are from India and one of my uncles back in the “old country” had a Mahindra Jeep. When I was little, I thought it was the coolest automobile ever. My ‘rents are from a part of India known as Kerala. While buildings are springing up everywhere now, a good part of the state is very “outdoorsy.” Mahindras are great for off-roading and can travel on any terrain. Really reliable too.

This will be a neat little truck…although, I don’t which dealership they’re gonna sell it at.

As much as I want to hate on this truck, I won’t. There’s something to be said for a small, no-frills stripped down truck that looks largely like it’s from 1979. Hopefully, even with a diesel, it’ll be real cheap. Mahindra should have somewhat of a name to back up the truck, at least in the more rural areas, with their line of tractors having been out for a while. I just hope there is enough room inside the cab, because my main complaint with all those old school small trucks is they had no leg room whatsoever.

I like the Mahindra truck…and I think there might be an emerging market for more LOW PRICED vehicles…especially utilitarian ones that can do more than just commute economically (like a silly Yaris or Fit)

Enough people don’t worry about resale value…they just want solid, cheap new vehicle.

So, I think the the key to Mahindra’s success here, at least for its first generation of products, is an absurdly LOW PRICE.

Once they build a reputation for durability and “good ownership experience”, they can venture upmarket…think Hyundai.

If I remember right they wanted to charge 22k for this. While I’m all for them coming here, 22k starts this right where I can get a ton of the competition without any concern. If that’s true it’s a tough fight for them.

For some reason I’m reminded of the Jeep Gladiator concept. Sigh.

mayer_ray- While I very well may be wrong, I don’t believe Mahindra will be charging $22k for this (despite what LLN says). It’s biggest advantage will probably price, durability and being a diesel. If they did, I don’t believe they would sell more than a couple hundred a year.

BTW, I was surprised to see diesel up only 50 cents over reg. petrol this week.

Personally, I like it and hate it. If the Ranger came with a diesel, I would go for it. The only thing holding the Ranger back is the fact it’s outdated. Needs a major interior update, simple exterior refresh and a few mechanical updates. Wouldn’t be all to bad to see it get IRS and a hydroformed frame from the Explorer. But other than that, it’s what it should be- a simple truck. The Colorado and Canyon have too many reliability problems, low quality woes and dismal fuel economy/power/towing capabilities. The Tacoma does pretty well, and so does the Frontier, but slightly pricey.

The reason why I hate this Mahindra is because it’s underdeveloped, ugly and stuck between being “mannered” (paddle shifters, six speed) and crude (looks, suspension and possibly quality)

keep it under $20k and itll find buyers

The way the economy is going, we’ll all be Appalachians soon.

Sure to be Motor Trend’s truck of the year. That should easily boost sales past the 101 Disney will need to make a movie.

Mahindra & Mahindra. The car company so good they named it twice!

Call me crazy, but why doesn’t some of the companies here in America with the perfect engineering pedigree and built-in starter market not enter this market?

I’m talking about John Deere and Caterpillar. Both companies know more about diesel engines than anyone, and they both know how to build very rugged and reliable machines. John Deere as a brand is HUGE and if they started selling a small pickup with the same kind of engineering quality as they put into their industrial offerings, and utilizing their ability to do practically everything in-house, then they would have a HUGE advantage over anyone else in the small truck market.

I saw make these models:

4×2 2-Door Long Bed, Basic Interior
4×4 2-Door Long Bed, Basic Interior
4×2 2-Door Short Bed, Upscale Interior
4×4 2-Door Short Bed, Upscale Interior
4×2 4-Door Long Bed, Basic Interior
4×4 4-Door Long Bed, Basic Interior
4×2 4-Door Short Bed, Upscale Interior
4×4 4-Door Short Bed, Upscale Interior

There’s a market here for a real manufacturing company to step in and take advantage of their HUGE name recognition and reputation for quality.

hey, maybe you’re on to something…think of the insurance breaks if we could all drive around in john deere/caterpillar SUVs with “farm vehicle” on the back…genius!

This looks like a Ford F-150 from the side.

i think the suv model will sell well too if the price is kept in check. there is a market out there for 4-5 seater purpose-built off-road capable vehicles that aren’t laden with luxury items like memory seats, etc. look at the toyota landcruiser, mitsubishi pajero, mercedes gelandewagen and unimog (larger class), nissan patrol, land rover defender in other markets. tough, rugged, no frills off-roaders, and priced accordingly. in the us market, it was decided that this vehicle type was only good for getting groceries. i don’t know about you, but i’m not interested in taking my ute with about $15,000 and 500 lbs. in extras into the boonies, be it for work, or pleasure. off the top of my head, this would appeal to farmers, surveyors, foresters, field veterinarians, geologists, soils engineers, etc., etc. these professions currently buy trucks, because that’s the closest fit right now.

I’m really curious to see how Mahindra & Mahindra will fare in the US market.

I’ve driven many Indian vehicles in India before (Marutis, Tatas, Ambassadors, India-market Toyotas, etc). The quality of all Indian-brand vehicles are much lower than any of the foreign brands that sell in India. In fact, Mahindra’s products, due to their roots as farm vehicles (Mahindra tractors are popular in India) are arguably at the bottom of the quality list, in terms of fit and finish and perceived quality. Think 1985 Hyundai Excel.

On the other hand, these products are made to drive in a country where many national highways wouldn’t pass for an unpaved driveway in the US. It should be fairly durable, although I imagine the higher-speed, lower impact duty cycle in the US will put this powertrain under completely different stresses than what it’s used to in India.

Who knows, maybe there’s a market for people in the US who want a durable small truck with good fuel economy and are willing to overlook 2-inch gaps between dashboard panels.

One thing is for sure, though, this truck better be dirt cheap.

I see this working well, and they don’t even need a full line at every option point like PaytonBird listed in his post. I could easily see the line being successful with only having a low-end 2 door, and a high end 4-door with 4×4 being an option for both trims. That said, I welcome all established foreign and domestic up-start brands to the US market. The fall of the Big 3 and a good shake down for numbers 4-10 (Renault-Nissan, VW/Porche, BMW, Diamler, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, …etc) should open the door for new firms to enter the market and provide valued consumer-based products, not random stuff nobody asked for (Ford Flex).

Cost Cost Cost! Diesel power costs money! Even at $19,999 this truck will have a hard time selling more than niche type sales. After 15 years in auto sales one thing I can tell you is people focus on up front cost and monthly payments. It is why Hybrids in much of the country have had low overall sales penetration. When goverment subsidy expire sales drop like a rock. So define success….25,000 copies, 50,000 copies a year. What would it be?

PB, You are crazy! John Deere and Caterpillar are building farming and industrial equipment respectively and experts in their market. Despite the fact that most (not all) vehicles have 4 wheels and engine, those are completely different markets then cars or trucks or combination of those (SUV/CUV). As far as diesels concern, they purchase/manufacture industrial diesels which have nothing in common with car & light trucks diesels including fuel. The only common denominator is term “diesel” and very general principal of operations. I hope you are better at your profession and know that 1000 PC’s are not substitute for mainframe and otherwise.

@Borat

You’re ignorant! John Deere sells many types of vehicles other than farm equipment. They are already branching out into micro trucks (you know, 4-wheelers with side-by-side seating and a bed). The idea of scaling that up to a road-going vehicle is not novel and they could easily do it.

Also, you should go check out the interior of a John Deere combine or other large tractor. You’ll find them to be as comfortable and luxurious as a Lexus.

@ Maxcar:

I’m agree with you regarding the utilitarian appeal and potential customer base for this truck. A rugged, very basic truck seems ideally suited for farm & field use. When I think “work truck”, I think about stuff like the Mahindra…or my basic, simple 2008 GMC Sierra Work Truck.

Funny thing is, as I discovered from over 8 years working at a Ford dealership, is that there are LOTS of folks who purchase a fancy truck like an F-150 (or Super Duty) Lariat, Harley Davidson, or King Ranch edition…and they put those rigs into hard, nasty use in rutted, muddy pastures, along miles of choppy trails & gravel roads, they drive them through knee-high brush, etc etc. In the process of accumulating miles and hard use, the carpeting gets stained, fenders get scratched, the beds & tailgates get gouged, and dirt & grit get packed into all the a/c vents and various crevices. I was always amazed at how folks could drop $30 to $50K on a gorgeous truck and then beat it into the ground each day. But, most of these guys spent 8 to 12 hours per day in their trucks, so having the nice leather upholstery, fog lights, subwoofer, sunroof, etc was “justifiable”.

I hope this takes off like a rocket. Maybe it will put fire up Fords A**!

It will be hard for me to test drive combine on streets of Manhattan, although I don’t question that it has great creature comfort. However, there is a measurable distance between farm equipment and general purpose vehicles. For one thing business and liability insurance.

@Borat

Well, maybe if you left New York City you’d see that there are *gasp* farms in New York. And how in the world do you think that John Deere doesn’t already have huge exposure to risk and lawsuits that could possibly be eclipsed by making a truck? The more you talk the more ignorant you sound about such matters.

Hmm, so Mahindra beats Alfa Romeo in landing on U.S. shore! Dang! India is coming fast – Tata Nano, Bollywood, Slumdog, now Mahindra. Is this the first official entry of a car brand into the U.S. market since the mass exodus of the nineties?

Depending on the price, this might be a big success in the U.S. It’s small, it’s surely fuel efficient, and as blazeabraham pointed out, it’s known for reliability. The truck just might have a market here after all.

it’s ugly and design outdated. Looks like a first gen Toyota pick-up back in the late 70’s early 80’s

Hey self proclaimed software genius, I do know a bit about liability and insurance. john Deer does not produce general purpose products, and much less Caterpillar and that alone exempts them from huge amount of liability and insurance requirements. Wait, even children in NYC know that, without searching for farms in NY. You probably from South, and perhaps the first one in the brood to stand on hind legs.

What are these people smoking? Nobody is going to buy this POS when there are plenty of small trucks already sitting here unsold with huge discounts. I read somewhere the target price for this thing is in the “mid-twenties”. You can get a brand new Ranger for almost half that. This thing probably doesn’t even have air conditioning, let alone a radio!

All comes down to dealer network and support. $22K base isn’t that bad. Give ‘em a chance.

The question is, Why even give them a chance? India has been proven not to play fair with it comes to trade. Example: Why is Harley Davidsons not allowed to be sold in India? Google it! Isn’t unemployement high enought yet in this county?

John Deere, or Cat would make a great truck! I would buy one!

A John Deere or Cat truck would more than likely be an edition of a Ford, GM, Dodge, or Tpypta truck due to the R&D costs involved with developing a comprehensive multi-use vehicle. On the other hand, it could possible be interesting to offer a Deere or Cat engine in an existing platform.

As for WHY’s question about fair trade, I have news for you, WHY: very few of our trading partners allow US industrial product to be offered in their markets as freely as we allow their product to be offered in ours. It’s not just India, but China, Germany, Korea, many Latin American countries, etc. Often times it’s just a direct tariff barrier against imports that the USA does not levy (or does so to a much lesser extent). It’s usually not on all products, but rather certain classifications, and those are usually protected industries. That being said, the USA I beleive levies a 25% tariff on light truck imports such as this Mahindra so we are certainly not the most innocent player either.

I would welcome a tough new utilitarian vehicle from Deere or Cat, although I would not buy a truck that is bright green with yellow seats. Bright yellow either for that matter.

Hey Buy USA, the reason this truck might have a chance. is because nobody wants those small trucks even with the huge discounts. like Obama says…… “You can put lipstick on a pig, but i’ts still a pig” It’s not that I dont agree with you, we should buy those trucks but we are so tired of the same-ol-hum drum trucks. c’mon!! The Ranger/S10 (is it still called the S10) I dont know? anyway My point is those trucks could be soooooo much better, you know it, I know it and Ford/GM they know it too, but do nothing about it. How desperate do we have to be, that we will buy this truck. nothing a against this Co/truck I know nothing about them. We we all know how to fix this. so lets fix it.

Why, nobody has best intentions of India in mind. We are perfectly self centered. It is in the best interests of US public to have the least amount of barriers and trade taxes. If something is not allowed to be sold in India – it is Indian citizenry loss. Their consumers can’t get their hands on that product and I am sure there is black market feeding forbidden fruit supply because those fruits are most desired. Up to now our economy was in leadership position because of strict separation of state and business and state did not interfere in free trade beyond what is considered “public good”`

@Why,

I am in the automotive business and travel to India on business several times a year. HD can’t sell bikes in India because the gov’t wants to limit the # of large dispacement powered bikes. There are lots of foreign (mostly japanese) bikes sold there. They are one of the few fair trading partners. We have a fairly balanced trade with them. Look up Tata Nano on wikipedia and take look at the long list of American and German suppliers. Chevy is one of the fastest growing brands there. Even though they are democracy and recently celebrated their 60th b-day, they really embraced capitalism in 1991. Their suppliers are very innovative and quick learners. I bet there are parts in your car that are made there. Wait 5 years and you will be amazed at the types of products that will be coming from India.