Mahindra pickups ready for US launch

Despite poor vehicle sales in the US market, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) will go ahead with its plans to launch its products in the US.M&M plans to launch its two mid-size, two and four-door diesel pickup trucks, in the US, by December 2009.

The pick up trucks will be priced competitively.

The two mid-size pick ups will come with standard six-speed automatic transmissions, air conditioning and common-rail diesel technology similar to what is used by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, M&M has said.

The pickup truck will provide greater carrying capacity, diesel durability and superior towing capabilities, in addition to getting 20 to 40 percent better fuel, the company claims.

M&M has said that it has decided to go ahead with its US plans as it has realized that its value proposition is stronger in the current situation.

If things go according to plan, then M&M will launch the first batch of two, and four-door, pickup trucks, in December 2009.

The Mahindra pickup trucks, that will be sold in the US, will be open-top vehicles with a rear cargo area and front-seating cab area for the driver.

M&M’s pickup trucks will be built on the platform it had adopted for its Scorpio SUVs. It will have the same assembly line, engine and transmission technology, chassis and other infrastructure.

The company said that the new pickup trucks, which would boast of excellent diesel technology and would give more importance to pollution control, will be primarily petrol driven.

The recession has helped M&M expand its dealer network at a low cost.

Global Vehicles U.S.A, Inc, the exclusive importer and distributor of Mahindra vehicles, plans to put in place a complete marketing, sales, and service organization, and has already lined up 325 dealers, to support the launch of Mahindra products in the US.

Global Vehicles aims to sell 25,000 pick up trucks in the first year of launch.

Meanwhile, after launching the pickup trucks, the company plans to launch its SUVs in 2010, in the US market.

John Perez, founder and CEO of Global Vehicles, said, “These trucks, and the SUV we will bring in about a year later, have been redesigned and reengineered to appeal to US consumers with features normally found on much more expensive vehicles.”

All M&M products, sold in the US, will come with a four-year/60,000-mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty.