Mahindra to Expand US Business after Ssangyong Acquisition

[MahindraPlanet]

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I'm not sure if we are on Santa Mahindra's naughty or nice list. We are low in the pecking order either way.

What is interesting is the models they are choosing to produce at home.
Korando: SsangYong Korando - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Korando started out as a Korean licensed Jeep CJ-7 back in 1983 and has evolved into a little RAV-4/CR-V type small SUV.

The Rexton: SsangYong Rexton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rexton is basically a Korean made Mercedes M-Class, with engines built under license from M-B.

You can understand some of the synergies between M&M and Ssangyong. Mostly you see that M&M has access to M-B engine designs.

[dadtdave]

They both look pretty good on the Wkipedia site.......I'll drive a Korean made Mercedez diesel SUV....

[Bugman]

How can you expand what you don't have?

[LVTony]

Originally Posted by pee wee

... Mahindra operates a joint venture with US-based commercial vehicle manufacturer Navistar International as well. Goenka added that this JV will launch two new trucks in the first quarter of 2011."
AutomotiveWorld.com
Published on Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It sounds like Mahindra has a full plate and is announcing their short term plans, which don't include sending any trucks here.

That sounds like the real reason they wanted to ditch GV. Get Navistar to build just enough parts and assemble the trucks to avoid the chicken tax. I always wondered why GV didn't set up some assembly plant to do the same thing.

Stupid chicken tax.

[blue7.3]

Originally Posted by LVTony

That sounds like the real reason they wanted to ditch GV. Get Navistar to build just enough parts and assemble the trucks to avoid the chicken tax. I always wondered why GV didn't set up some assembly plant to do the same thing.

Stupid chicken tax.

Well... I don't know how stupid it really is. It's pushed the real small truck makers: Toyota and Nissan, to build here in the States. Many of our fellow citizens are gainfully employed building quality products right here. Does that mean that we may miss a few opportunities on other products? Possibly. But it seems to me that the serious players in this market are already at our local dealer lots (that we don't get all of their engine or tranny offerings is entirely another issue)
Quite frankly, I think there's a good reason for the tax to exist.

-pete

[stove warrior]

Originally Posted by LVTony

That sounds like the real reason they wanted to ditch GV. Get Navistar to build just enough parts and assemble the trucks to avoid the chicken tax. I always wondered why GV didn't set up some assembly plant to do the same thing.

Stupid chicken tax.

Canada made a proposal to re-open a Navistar plant in Chattam Ontario. I wonder if that's on the bargaining table. We all know we 've waited long enough. Some fresh news happenings would be nice.

[JoBo]

Originally Posted by MahindraPlanet

IndianExpress.com is reporting this morning that an undisclosed “senior official” from Mahindra’s Finance and Strategic Development Department has informed them that the US pickup and SUV market is...

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Available in the spring of what year is my question. Another 6 month delay at the least. If they ever get here they'll have a hard time explaining the l_o_n_g delay from when they were first anounced and convince customers they are serious and will be here for the long haul.
Like others I'm no longer interested in the truck just on how the soap opera turns out.

Joe

[pee wee]

Originally Posted by JoBo

Available in the spring of what year is my question. Another 6 month delay at the least. If they ever get here they'll have a hard time explaining the l_o_n_g delay from when they were first anounced and convince customers they are serious and will be here for the long haul.
Like others I'm no longer interested in the truck just on how the soap opera turns out.

Joe

They're sure trying to kill my buzz, too.

[LVTony]

Originally Posted by blue7.3

Well... I don't know how stupid it really is. It's pushed the real small truck makers: Toyota and Nissan, to build here in the States. Many of our fellow citizens are gainfully employed building quality products right here. Does that mean that we may miss a few opportunities on other products? Possibly. But it seems to me that the serious players in this market are already at our local dealer lots (that we don't get all of their engine or tranny offerings is entirely another issue)
Quite frankly, I think there's a good reason for the tax to exist.

-pete

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, I didn't get email notification and this thread doesn't show in my subscriptions.

Anyway, I have to wonder if we would have better trucks now if we had more competition through not having a chicken tax. It's true that the serious players had to build plants here and employ people, which is all good, but they had to do it because they are big and they needed the sales. However, they only had to compete against the big three, so they didn't have to bring all of their product variations here, which slowed down the evolution of truck products in the US. I think the big three did have to respond to Toyota and Nissan/Datsun, so things did improve faster than if we didn't have them in the market, but I have to think an open market would have forced more improvements faster so they could simply compete.

Why can't I go buy a quarter-ton sized truck that can carry 3/4 or a full ton and still get >25 mpg when empty?

My full size 3/4 ton Dodge Cummins (made in Mexico) get's 19-20 mpg on the highway empty. I use it to tow my fifth wheel trailer, but it's a major headache to park it in the city. My friend's older Dodge Cummins get's 21-22 mpg on the highway, but that's the EPA for you.

I had an older 1/2 ton Dodge 4x4 gasser (made in Mexico) that only got 14 mpg. Whenever the mileage went down to 12 mpg, I knew it was time to replace spark plug wire #7, because it was burned again. This old truck only made 185 HP. Why wasn't there a 2.5-3.0 liter turbodiesel engine option so it could get 25-30 mpg (and have more torque with the same amount of HP)?

Right now I will look into any manufacturer that introduces a small pickup that has useful weight capacity and can get really good mileage. Right now that usually means diesel, but who knows what that will be in the future. I think Mahindra has an opportunity to gain market share by being first, but any small or unknown manufacturer that comes into the US market can only gain share by being first. If they're second, they won't make much of a dent unless the vehicle is revolutionary better and cheaper. That gets harder and harder to do as time goes by.

- Tony