Mahindra Pickup Update

[Scooby074]

Originally Posted by Groo

The center stack looks kind of like a woman's torso. I like it!

Im a bit of a fan of "air vents" myself

[California]

Originally Posted by Groo

I'd like to have seen an integral 2" reciever.

So is Michigan the only state to offer M plates?

Agreed. They have to equip it as a work truck if they expect anyone to buy it. There isn't any other customer group who would choose this ugly duckling first!

M = Manufacturer's plates? I have seen California 'MFR' plates once in my life. On a Los Angeles freeway. On an immaculate 2wd Willys Wagon! - some 40 years after they quit making them. I've always wondered what the story was. Maybe it was a prototype that someone restored.

[MahindraPlanet]

On the bumper discussion, I agree, that brush guard has to go. Looks like it would immediately fold up and smash the grill. Maybe someone like Shrockworks will step in and build a proper bumper. We’ve got a Shrockworks rear bumper on my wife’s Xterra, and I pity any fool that were to rear-end her.

There is now a forum dedicated to Mahindra trucks. MahindraTruckBlog, and its sister site MahindraTruckForum. These have nothing to do with my blog MahindraPlanet, but Andy is doing a really nice job with both of them. You will be seeing a lot of cross-over and original content that should complement each other. Not to take anything away from TractorByNet or this thread, but it’s nice to have a place dedicated to truck discussion.

[California]

Originally Posted by MahindraPlanet

that brush guard has to go. Looks like it would immediately fold up and smash the grill.

I thought the only reason they added it was to strengthen the bumper up to federal crash resistance standards.

I agree its ugly and might be replaced with something prettier. Better yet would be for Mahindra to design something that both looks and works better.

[California]

I bought an Isuzu Trooper before many of them had been sold here. $13-something thousand 'price', $14.2 grand total with tax and license. It was thousands lower than comparables and was everything I had hoped for.

But Mahindra is entering the market with a mid level price and in my opinion, 'value' buyers like me won't take a second look at it. I like the concept but not the price.

[Scooby074]

Yes the bumper was added for crash test purposes. An aftermarket bumper like a ARB, while it would look cool, wouldnt meet crash test standards.

They need to rework the plastic bumper for fit and finish and crash worthiness, and loose the chinsey tubes.

I see fit and finish being a major problem for Mahindra at this price point.

[dgl24087]

Power Ratings For Mahindra TR Series Pickups Released - PickupTrucks.com News

[schmism]

i was thrilled with the idea of a no frills entry lvl "mini" truck to replace my 1994 toyota with 230K miles.

No one builds them anymore (edit, no one sells them in the US anymore). A basic hardcore tough little truck.

now i see the org version has been American-itized.

i dont WANT a 6 speed automatic. And why cant i have a REAL 2.5L CRD

now its got to have a fugly front bumper and that stupid pitched forward look they put on the trucks. (for a Chevy you need a 3" LEVELING kit, its bad when a 3" lift kit is called a LEVELING kit)


I want a 5 speed maual with a 2.5L CRD with 4wd operated by a stick on the floor and manual locking front hubs. No power windows, no power door locks, no nav system, no onboard GPS ONSTAR tracking, no built in sat radio, no bluetooth bullsh*t, no autostart.

Ill take ABS, integrated power inverter, tow package and skidplates.

for 15K

(hmmmmm sounds like i like my 15 year old Toyota, can i start over with a new one of those plse?)

[Scooby074]

140 horsepower and 236 lbs.-ft

payload rating of up to 2,765 pounds, up to 30 mpg highway fuel economy and a four-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Specs look good so far. Hopefully the other issues with fit and finish get addressed.

[mojoinco]

Saw one today. MFR plates, 'test vehicle' marked on it. 2 door, white/off white. See a lot of vehicles in Colorado during testing (high altitude: brakes, cooling, acceleration testing, mtn driving). I haven't seen any in the flat part of the state before, so I would guess it was more durability testing of some sort. Looked empty. Didn't have an opportunity to get close to it. In Elizabeth Colorado. Presumably making the loop from Denver (I 25) south to Castle Rock, then East to Limon (I 70) and back to Denver.

Toyota used to import its trucks (Hilux anyone?) without beds to avoid (as I recall) a 25% import duty. They contracted to a company in California to make and install the beds to complete them. Eventually they bought the company. Then they built plants in North America and no longer need to import the full vehicle (makes for better politics, ads, and easier to move money around the world by taking advantage of taxes and exchange rates versus where the money needs to be). A lot of the import brands watched how US businesses used the power of politics to get there way (not politic, I know) by lobbying a local congressman or senator where a facility is. That probably had more to do with placing plants in a variety of places (especially if there wasn't an existing car manufacturer) as the UAW. More states mean more senators and congressmen and more votes.

Import duty wise, Nissan stopped selling the 2 door Hardbody Pathfinder in the US until they had a plant here to build them due to the import duty. That was a reason that Suzuki eventually stopped selling the 2 door hardtop Sidekick (and Tracker twin), as they were built in Japan (probably had to do with sales as well; the soft tops were built in Canada). Of course, markets have changed and few non-pickup truck type vehicles are available as two doors anymore. Probably just as true in the car market too.

Motorcycles have been shipped as knock downs for as long as I know (maybe the imports started the process -- undoubtedly it took the advent of fork lifts to get the ball rolling). They may have been shipped in crates but otherwise complete prior to that (easy to get forklifts in high traffic areas like freight yards -- when fork trucks were still relatively expensive).