U.S. Importer Says Mahindra Pickup Has Come A Long Way
It’s been a long wait for Mahindra to bring its compact diesel pickup truck to the U.S., but execs are saying that delay allowed them to make sure “they’ve got it right.” Still, though, the results of safety and emissions test remain unknown, and could still represent a hurdle to the truck’s arrival on these shores.
Six months away from selling the Indian-built pickup, John Perez, CEO of distributor Global Vehicles U.S.A., is bullish about the trucks’ final preparations and their progress meeting government certification.
“From where we started to where [the truck] is today is a huge improvement,” Perez said this week. “Mahindra has done exactly what they promised to do three years ago. They said they weren’t going to come to the U.S. market until they had it right. They’ve got it right.”
Perez says serial delays that have pushed back the introduction from the first quarter of 2009 to February 2010 are because Mahindra knows the high quality standards that American truck buyers expect.
“Mr. Mahindra said we’re not sending a truck to the United States -- we’re sending the family name,” Perez said. “It’s a matter of pride to them to come to this market. Unlike other countries where they just ship cars to make money, to them it is not just about money, it’s about pride.
“It’s better for us as a distributor and its better for consumers,” Perez said, “rather than trying to rush into the market.”
In addition to sourcing powertrain and interior components from Tier 1 auto suppliers such as Bosch, AVL and Lear, Mahindra has reached out to Mercedes-Benz for help testing the pickup to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards. Mercedes has been putting the trucks through their paces both in Europe and at a test center in Laredo, Texas.
How’s the truck done so far?
“The [front and side impact] crash testing is done,” Perez said. Mahindra “hasn’t shared the results with us yet but they’ve told us they’re much better than even they expected.”
The pickup will add a front bumper guard that's similar to an aftermarket guard as standard equipment and a stamped steel rear bumper. Both enhancements are unique to the U.S. market to pass low-speed crash tests which call for the front and rear bumpers to survive 2.5 mph direct and 1.5 mph corner impacts without damage. The trucks also have standard stability control and four-wheel disc brakes.
Testing to ensure that the truck’s diesel powertrain is able to meet clean air standards will be finished by the end of August and turned over to the EPA in September, Perez said.
Perez is also confident the truck has finally received its name after the earlier “Appalachian” moniker was dropped.
TR20 and TR40 (designating the two- and four-door models) “will be the official names,” Perez said.
Occupying a unique niche in the truck market, with fuel economy expected to be at least 30 mpg and payload capacity of 1.3 tons, Perez thinks it’s the right truck for the times.
“What we’re bringing to the U.S. is what the United State government is saying we need in the future, which is smaller bodies, more fuel efficient with more carrying capacity.”
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