I am in agreement on many of your points, I was ready to ditch the hope that Mahindra would be offering what I was in the market for. The problem for me is that the current offerings here are not satisfactory. I was hoping for a new truck just like the one I bought in 1993- sturdy, basic, fuel efficient and cheap, but there is no longer a truck like that in this market. I continue to drive that truck because it is better suited to me than any of the new trucks out there. Even in India, these trucks are not intended to be basic or cheap, they are targeted at the more affluent buyer who may not require a truck but likes the statement. Thankfully for us, they are not yet stripped of the ruggedness our segment of the market is looking for. The changes they made to the truck for entry into our market did nothing to improve it in my eyes, only make it more expensive. I am also looking forward to a better Ford Ranger offering, but if it shows up here I think we have to at least give a tip of the hat to Mahindra for showing there is a forgotten market segment here. What they offer might not be exactly what we want, but it's a step in the right direction at a time when the rest of the players seem ready to give up on the small truck.
|