Mahindra Trucks:

[L-ENTERPRISES]

Good luck to'em . I bet alot of welfare and illegal farm gypsies and underground construction companies will buy'em due to price alone ......84month finance options ...:lmao:

 

[slowzuki]

For Canadians and Americans, even a little single axle utility trailer in europe or the UK usually has brakes. There is brakes on every wheel on larger trailers which is not always the case here.

Even farm trailers such as for silage are equipped with brakes.

Not many low powered trucks here rated for high weight. The market seems to want big engines. I have seen some 4 cylinder 5 ton cab overs in use but they are rare.

There are still some 1 ton Toyota's running around here too. Nice trucks. The newer Tacos with the rusty frame are US built trucks with Dana frames.

 

[Redneck in training]

The biggest challenge for Mahindra, is to get this vehicle sold to people other than those who cant afford anything else... When that happens, the reputation sticks to it forever....

My wife told me that when she was a young girl Toyota didn't have dealerships and used to sell cars door to door. If you went out and just looked at the car they gave a baseball cap, if you agreed to drive it around the block they gave a Teeshirt. The car cost about one third of average US car about 45 or so years ago.

Europeans like vans as opposed to open pickups due to petty crime I suppose. We went for vacation to Europe several times and visited different countries and were always warned not to leave anything valuable even in locked car. Iowa is not completely crime free but I rarely bother to lock my car.

 

[shvl73]

There are still some 1 ton Toyota's running around here too. Nice trucks. The newer Tacos with the rusty frame are US built trucks with Dana frames.

That may be but, the older ones (we had an '85) were absolutely terrible about rusting. The frame on ours crumbled when the mechanic reached under to pull himself underneath. His fingers went through the inside of the frame. At the time, we were inquiring as to whether the rust was repairable, it wasn't. This was in the early '90's.

 

[L-ENTERPRISES]

That may be but, the older ones (we had an '85) were absolutely terrible about rusting. The frame on ours crumbled when the mechanic reached under to pull himself underneath. His fingers went through the inside of the frame. At the time, we were inquiring as to whether the rust was repairable, it wasn't. This was in the early '90's.

I'd never trust a Toyoyo , Datsun or Mitsu pick up for anything work related .

 

[Renze]

For Canadians and Americans, even a little single axle utility trailer in europe or the UK usually has brakes. There is brakes on every wheel on larger trailers which is not always the case here.

You need brakes on anything over 750 kg. Thats surge brakes in 95% of the cases. ABS is required when going over 3500 AXLE WEIGHT (so we used to build 5 ton 5th wheel trailers, with 1.5 ton kingpin rating, without ABS)

Because less parts (=time) involved in installing an electonic brake system (EBS) from Knorr (Wabco in the U.S.) we used their 12V kit, which was developed 2 years ago for the American market. With EBS, as standard you have ABS, ESP and load proportional braking... just no comparison to dodgy electric brakes..

The added benefit of trailer EBS is that it brakes the trailer back under control, when it is starting to tip (most beneficial when hauling meat, like pig carcasses hanging in a high center of gravity, deck-over refrigerated box)

To find a trailer with electric brake Dexter axles in Europe is harder than finding a needle in a haystack... At my former employer, we had a customer who wanted to import Am erican made horse trailers, and asked for pricing to convert them to air brakes, air suspension and European axles.... Those trailers were impossible to sell here with those notoriously unreliable and jerking electric brakes....

 

[L-ENTERPRISES]

You need brakes on anything over 750 kg. Thats surge brakes in 95% of the cases. ABS is required when going over 3500 AXLE WEIGHT (so we used to build 5 ton 5th wheel trailers, with 1.5 ton kingpin rating, without ABS)

Because less parts (=time) involved in installing an electonic brake system (EBS) from Knorr (Wabco in the U.S.) we used their 12V kit, which was developed 2 years ago for the American market. With EBS, as standard you have ABS, ESP and load proportional braking... just no comparison to dodgy electric brakes..

The added benefit of trailer EBS is that it brakes the trailer back under control, when it is starting to tip (most beneficial when hauling meat, like pig carcasses hanging in a high center of gravity, deck-over refrigerated box)

To find a trailer with electric brake Dexter axles in Europe is harder than finding a needle in a haystack... At my former employer, we had a customer who wanted to import Am erican made horse trailers, and asked for pricing to convert them to air brakes, air suspension and European axles.... Those trailers were impossible to sell here with those notoriously unreliable and jerking electric brakes....

If electric brakes are jerking and unreliable , then its all operater / owners fault & inexperience .

 

[intel]

22k no way. boy it is ugly maybe you buy 2 one to poop-on and one to cover it up.

 

[AchingBack]

If it can't plow snow, It'll be of little use to me. It'll be interesting to see if there is a plow package. There is room out there for a true work truck rather than a car on a truck frame. They'll never compete in the high end truck communter market. The work and fleet market they stand a chance if it truely can be used for work.

Look at what I found, atgreene. Notice the part about the snow plow package:

Mahindra Promises Diesel Hybrid Pickup by 2010
By: Mike Levine Posted: 02-10-08 18:20 PT
ｩ 2008 PickupTruck.com

Page: [1]

Update #2: 02-11-08 15:35 PT

Sam Abuelsamid over at AutoblogGreen has biographical information about Mahindra's diesel hybrid architect, Dr. Arun Jaura. Before joining Mahindra, Dr. Jaura was the Head of Vehicle Engineering for Ford's Escape Hybrid SUV.

Be sure to check out Sam's take on the Mahindra pickup.

Update #1: 02-11-08 04:15 PT

Several more news items about the Mahindra pickup not included in the original story:

The "Appalachian" will have a U.S. exclusive interior that's been designed to American tastes (and sizes) by Michigan-based supplier Lear Corporation. Leather seats will be optional.

Two-wheel and Four-wheel-drive versions will be available.

Mr. Perez says the truck's size is close to that of the current Toyota Tacoma, instead of being a 'true compact' pickup.

Mahindra and GV-USA are planning a wide range of accessories for the truck, one of which is expected to be a snow plow.

Indian auto manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has plans to offer a mid-size diesel hybrid pickup to American buyers by 2010, promising even higher fuel economy figures than the diesel-only truck it will start selling next year. Both powertrains will be available for its 'Scorpio' SUV too.

Last year PickupTruck.com interviewed John Perez, CEO of Global Vehicles U.S.A. (GV-USA), an Alpharetta, Georgia-based automotive import company, who's leading the effort to bring the Indian pickup (and Scorpio SUV) to these shores.

Mr. Perez just provided an update to PickupTruck.com about the truck's status.

"I was just advised that by 2010 we'll have a diesel hybrid pickup (for sale in the US market). It will be available for the two-door and four-door pickups, and the SUV," says Mr. Perez. "Nobody is going to have a truck close to this."

This is the first time a diesel hybrid powertrain has been announced by a truck manufacturer for the U.S. market. Gasoline hybrids have recently been introduced by General Motors for its full size 2009 Chevrolet Silverado and 2009 GMC Sierra pickups, and Toyota recently showed its A-BAT compact pickup concept using a hybrid powertrain.

"We're not able to announce pricing yet (for the diesel hybrid) but we're not expecting it to be, say, $10,000 more (than the diesel-only pickup). Probably several thousand more," says Mr. Perez.

Mr. Perez has previously stated the diesel-only pickup would start at $22,000.

The diesel-only truck will use a slightly modified version of Mahindra's recently introduced 'mHawk' 2.2-liter inline four cylinder diesel engine, that debuted in India in the Scorpio SUV.

Mr. Perez estimates the U.S. version of the mHawk will have power ratings in the range of 145-horsepower to 150-horsepower and approximately 300 pound-feet of torque, though the numbers haven't been finalized. The mHawk was designed in cooperation with diesel engineering firms Bosch and AVL specifically with the American pickup market in mind.

The American mHawk will be paired with a standard six-speed automatic transmission, a floor mounted console shifter, and steering wheel mounted paddles to manually shift the gearbox.

"I'm really happy about this diesel," says Mr. Perez. "This is a market that nobody is going to be in for at least three of four years. We're going to be able to give small businesses a truck that can get 30 to 35 miles-per-gallon, and with a diesel engine that's durable. It's a $40,000 truck that we're going to sell in the mid-$20,000s. This is not Chinese junk."

And it will be able to haul too. Mahindra promises the truck will be able to carry a very sizeable 1.3-ton (2,600-lb) payload in its 7.5-foot cargo box. By comparison, the 2008 Toyota Tacoma has a max payload rating of 1,685-lbs and the 2008 Dodge Dakota has a max payload of 1,720-lbs.

The trucks will come with a 60,000-mile, four year bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Three hundred dealers have signed up to sell the Mahindra pickup, which Mr. Perez thinks will be called the 'Appalachian', after the Appalachian mountain range in the eastern U.S., by the time it goes on sale in mid-2009. Most dealerships will be store-in-a-store, paired with existing auto franchises, but 24 stand-alone Mahindra stores are planned. One is already under construction in the midwest.

Mr. Perez is being very specific with dealers that sign on about how they treat customers.

"They have been told to treat our customers like they are buying a Land Rover. If they don't, they won't be a dealer. We don't want our buyers to be jerked around," says Mr. Perez.

Mahindra has spent almost $80-million getting the pickup and SUVs ready to meet U.S. federal vehicle regulations, like diesel emissions and crash tests.

"Mahindra is being three-times cautious about entering the U.S. market so there won't be any issues with the truck (by the time its tested for U.S. certification)," says Mr. Perez.

Production starts March 15, 2009 in India but final assembly of the pickup will take place at an unannounced location in Ohio. This way Mahindra will be able to avoid the 25% federal import tariff (aka 'Chicken tax') levied on foreign-built pickups. Mr. Perez says the amount will be only 4%. The first trucks should be on sale by summer 2009.

Page: [1]

 

[Renze]

If electric brakes are jerking and unreliable , then its all operater / owners fault & inexperience .

...Thats what they are known for in Europe... and why it was never accepted...

HOWEVER !!! I agree that its owners fault and inexperience !

Its the same as with the system which is most common in Europe: bowden cable operated surge brakes: cables get stuck and jerky if you dont renew it every other year. However, the European trailering audience is used to that, and servicemen know how to deal with it, so it works here.
When a Dutch trailer serviceman has to fiddle with something rare just every once in a while, he will never get the touch of it, even though the commonly accepted system in Europe, requires just as much maintenance...

Electric brakes are a workable solution in America where trailer servicemen know how to deal with bad contacts, etcetera, but still far from perfect.
Surge brakes are a workable solution in Europe where trailer servicemen know how to deal with stuck cables, slack adjustment and brake expanders, but still far from perfect

Electric brakes were tried here but they never took off: Why would we take the aggrevation of getting something to work which is no better than what we already have and are accustomed to ? I suppose surge brakes would be looked upon in the same way by Americans, which know the tricks to keep electric brakes working, but dont want the hassle to learn the tricks of surge brakes...

In the end, it all comes down to what your reference point is:
IMHO, an air brake system is the only thing that is safe, reliable, comfortable and long lasting. Its more expensive, but if i had to tow over 3 ton: for me it would be worth every penny...

 

[Scooby074]

I was hoping they were going to offer a stripped down inexpensive model, but it doesnt look that way. Im not wanting the complexity/expense of a hybrid or a automatic tranny with a flappy paddle gearbox.Just give me a nice, compact, ( like the size of the first gen tacoma) simple diesel, standard tranny and an interior i can hose out and ill be happy.

Thats a niche in the market that mahindra should fill. Trying to compete with the major players like toyota, gm, and ford by offering a "deluxe" vehicle isnt going to end well. Its going to be hard to get somebody into a(relatively unknown outside of tractor circles) Mahindra dealership when they can get one of the majors for a similar price. I do hope they succeed though, then maybe they'll bring a stripped down model to market.

 

[Builder]

I was hoping they were going to offer a stripped down inexpensive model, but it doesnt look that way. Im not wanting the complexity/expense of a hybrid or a automatic tranny with a flappy paddle gearbox.Just give me a nice, compact, ( like the size of the first gen tacoma) simple diesel, standard tranny and an interior i can hose out and ill be happy.

Thats a niche in the market that mahindra should fill. Trying to compete with the major players like toyota, gm, and ford by offering a "deluxe" vehicle isnt going to end well. Its going to be hard to get somebody into a(relatively unknown outside of tractor circles) Mahindra dealership when they can get one of the majors for a similar price. I do hope they succeed though, then maybe they'll bring a stripped down model to market.

I don't think that'll be a problem for GM, Ford, etc.

Offering a small, stripped, manual tranny diesel pickup with a hose 'n go interior is just a race to the bottom.

Probably not much more than maybe $1,000-$2,000 profit per unit.

 

[Builder]

.. I'm referring to the relation between social status and TRUCK size, not 'torsion bar' size so -PLEASE- !!! dont take it personal

By the way, the comments of our politically left orientated media on Bush' casual press conference was hilarious:
They interviewed a so-called reporter who happened to just have written a book about the "disasters of Bush government": The guy wasnt subtle enough to hide that he needed this interview to generate some sales of his book today...
.

If you look at the rules, political discussion is not allowed on this website.

 

[Builder]

The biggest challenge for Mahindra, is to get this vehicle sold to people other than those who cant afford anything else... When that happens, the reputation sticks to it forever....

Uh huh. Just like YUGO.

 

[Hoosier Hay Man]

The Duramax is not an Isuzu engine anymore. It was designed by GM & Isuzu, that is true. However, GM bought Isuzu out of the partnership and now it is built in Moraine, Ohio by DMAX Ltd.

Everybody remembers, exspecialy if you were an owner of GM's 6.5 litre that GM couldn't build one alone, so you are right that GM serched out Izuzu for their diesel technology they couldn't find in Detroit. The Duramax has been a success for GM. The Allison transmission is darn good also, it was GM until they sold it off last year. They keep down sizing there won't be anything left. They still build the home owner pickup version of the Allison 6 speed at Baltimore Powertrain so it's sort of still GM. The commercial truck version is built in Indianapolis at Allison.

 

[Builder]

Everybody remembers, exspecialy if you were an owner of GM's 6.5 litre that GM couldn't build one alone, so you are right that GM serched out Izuzu for their diesel technology they couldn't find in Detroit. The Duramax has been a success for GM. The Allison transmission is darn good also, it was GM until they sold it off last year. They keep down sizing there won't be anything left. They still build the home owner pickup version of the Allison 6 speed at Baltimore Powertrain so it's sort of still GM. The commercial truck version is built in Indianapolis at Allison.

Yep, GM was the last of the big-3 to build an in-house light diesel. Early models were pretty bad. The later models were better, but pale in comparison to the DMAX. Nice thing about the DMAX is now it's a division of GM wholly owned by them. It's an American plant in Ohio building diesel engines with parts from all over the world.

True, GM still builds their own light truck transmissions in the Baltimore Allison plant. However, I'm not really concerned whether or not they own Allison, just that they USE Allison.

Look at Ford, IH builds their medium trucks for them in mexico and when equipped with an automatic, it's an Allison.