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Report: Mahindra to set U.S. Pik-Up launch date in next few weeks
by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Mar 5th 2010 at 2:29PM


Mahindra Pik-Up – Click above for high-res image gallery

Tired of waiting around for an official launch date for the hotly anticipated (in certain circles, at least) compact diesel pickup truck from Indian automaker Mahindra? Good news, then. According to a report from Automotive News, the largest utility vehicle maker in India and its U.S. distributor, Global Motors, will make an official announcement regarding the targeted sale date of the Pik-Up within the next two-to-three weeks.

Before you get too excited, realize that Mahindra only hopes to announce a launch date – when that date will actually be is still anyone's guess. In fact, Mahindra President Pawan Goenka said in an interview that the vehicle is still undergoing Environmental Protection Agency testing here in the States and an official application to allow the truck to be sold here has yet to take place.

Following the Pik-Up's official launch in the U.S., Mahindra plans to continue focusing on its export markets with a new SUV designed specifically for the European and North American markets. Judging by how long it's taken to get its first model on the market, though, we'll keep our excitement bottled up for the time being





The contents of "CLICK HERE":


MUMBAI (Reuters) -- Mahindra & Mahindra, India's largest utility vehicle and tractor maker, hopes to announce in two to three weeks a timeframe for the launch of its pickups in the United States, a top official said on Thursday.

The U.S. market is crucial for Mahindra to achieve its objective of becoming a global player, but the launch, originally expected late last year or early 2010, has been delayed due to safety and emission certification.

"The process is taking a bit longer than what we anticipated," Pawan Goenka, president and member of the management board, said in an interview.

He said an application would be made to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency as soon as the vehicle completed the tests required, which should be known in about two to three weeks.

Goenka said the agency usually takes a month to process applications.

"Since our long-term aspiration is to be known as the premier SUV and pickup manufacturer in the world, it is but natural that we must sell and be successful in the U.S.," he said. "Without that we cannot call ourselves a premier player in that segment."

The pickup will be competing with Ford Motor Co.'s 2010 Ford Ranger and Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tacoma models in the United States, the world's largest market for SUVs and pickups.

Mahindra hopes to quadruple exports in 2010-2011 from an expected 10,000 units in the current fiscal year that ends on March 31, Goenka said.

"Once the U.S. sales also start we will be able to achieve that ultimate objective of having 20 percent of our volumes coming from exports," he said.

Its exports had slumped 36 percent in 2008-2009 to 8,000 units following the global downturn.

Mahindra has a 65 percent share of India's utility vehicles market with models such as Scorpio, Bolero and the Xylo and competes with Tata Motors Ltd., Toyota and General Motors Co.


Sales to double in 2010-2011


Mahindra's Pawan Goenka says European sales of the Xylo will start in 2010-2011.


Goenka said the company is planning to launch a new SUV in a year's time, which would be aimed at world markets. It would start selling the Xylo in Europe in 2010-2011.

"In the short-term that will become our high-volume export product," he said. "Beyond that we are sure the new SUV, we plan to launch will do well in many developed markets because that is designed with exports in mind."

The company aims to double its domestic sales in 2010-2011, driven by increased demand for its utility vehicles, the launch of Xylo variants and sales of mini-commercial vehicles.

Last year it made an entry into the mini-trucks segment with the 0.5 metric ton four-wheel Gio meant to wean away three-wheeled commercial vehicles users, and the sub-one ton Maxximo pitting itself against sector leader Tata Motors, which has a dominant 90 percent share with its mini Ace trucks.

The tiny commercial vehicles segment is set to see more competition with the entry of GM in collaboration with China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. in 2011.

Data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers showed sales of light commercial vehicles rose nearly 40 percent in the first 10 months of 2009-2010.

Contact Automotive News

While the topic in both articles is somewhat/sorta similar, none of the text in either article matches exactly word-for-word or even in general stucture.

They are different.

The text that you posted has the bloggers' "spin" to it.

I rest my case.


I'm not trying to be mean here, folks. I'm just trying to point out that - as an actual trained journalist (BSJ University of Kansas) - stuff published on the Internet should be be taken with a grain of salt. Possibly a dumptruck full of road salt...

Personally, I think that mainstream Journalism these days is going to hell in a handbasket, mostly because anyone with a computer and an Internet connection (like the guy who tried to shoot his way into the Pentagon) can find an audience. Usually that audience ends up being all the news outlets no matter what perceived "leaning" that they might have.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox and awaiting the arrival of the first Mahindra TR20/40 in Kansas City...