Mahindra Pickup: On-Sale Date Still Uncertain

Indian vehicle manufacturer Mahindra, has reportedly completed testing to ensure it’s compact, diesel powered pickup will meet US Federal emissions requirements. The vehicles will be available in regular and crew-cab configuration, are expected to be priced at around $22,000 and will boast a 1.3 ton payload capacity. But while smog testing might have been completed, according to Mahindra’s stateside distributor, Global Vehicles USA, the company has yet to settle on an official on-sale date.

Being exclusively powered by Mahindra’s own 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder engine, the trucks have to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s, Tier 2 Bin 5 regulations for emissions, which are the toughest in the world and a primary reason why so many automakers have a very hard time selling diesels here. However, now that those requirements are believed to have been met in testing, EPA certification of the Mahindra pickup will likely be granted within 60 days. However, GV USA Chief Executive Officer, John Perez, is apparently frustrated at the lack of information he’s receiving from Mahindra in India. “It’s a battle to get anything from them. It’s not that they don’t have the information, it’s the culture – they don’t like to make announcements.”

And while that might be par for the course in India, if Mahindra is to have a fighting chance in the world’s most competitive vehicle market, it needs a targeted and focused strategy. Simply waiting until the trucks show up on these shores could cost the company a significant number of initial sales as potential customers sit on the fence or look elsewhere. And to make matters worse, without the initial sales and marketing buzz, if the trucks aren’t well received when they finally arrive here, the company will likely face a sizeable uphill battle to win over buyers – one that could potentially jeopardize it’s long term future in the US.

[Source: Automotive News]