Mahindra Pickup: What’s in a name?

Mahindra has announced and subsequently un-announced a tentative name for their new pickup truck set for sale in the U.S. market in 2009. The name that had initially been chosen, proposed, or just possibly tested for public reaction was: Appalachian.

It’s unknown why this name was withdrawn this past summer as no explanation was given. However, I suspect that after some research, Mahindra and Global Vehicles received unfavorable feedback from the Appalachian name. It’s unfortunate, but understandable that there tends to be a negative connotation associated with the Appalachian name and what is traditionally considered the Appalachian region of the Southeastern United States. I have a feeling many Americans have visions of poverty and social backwardness, propagated by movies and urban legend which shine a dim light on people who live off the land in remote areas of the United States. Doubly unfortunate is that most people seldom realize the Appalachian Mountain Range extends well beyond the American Southeast. The Appalachian Chain actually includes all regional mountain ranges (such as the Smokey, Blue Ridge, Pocono, Catskills, Adirondack, Green, and White Mountains) extending across the east from Alabama to Newfoundland, Canada.

I’ve spent most of my life living and recreating within the Appalachian Chain, mostly in New York State between the Pocono’s, Catskills, and Adirondacks. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen many pieces of the range in nearly every state they pass through, and even in Nova Scotia, Canada (lead photo of Appalachian Range touching the Atlantic Ocean on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia courtesy Jaime Winfield).

So, what will the name officially be? In Australia, Mahindra calls the truck: Pik-Up. Truthfully, I think that’s a fine name, but I doubt it will stick. I’m certain that US marketing wordsmiths will not find that at all acceptable and will want to give it a rich and majestic (i.e. fancy) name. Hopefully they don’t force something too pretentious upon us. Maybe they’ll keep with the Appalachian Mountain theme and give us something palatable to the masses, yet representative of the ruggedness of Mahindra trucks. Adirondack, Berkshire, Blue Ridge… these could work. With the Adirondack Mountains in my back yard, I am certainly biased toward that name.

Is this the next International Scout?

Little is known about the exact details of Mahindra and GV-USA’s plans to build the new United States market Mahindra Pickups and (later) Scorpio SUV’s (in the photo above). The current understanding is that parts and assemblies will be sourced from India and shipped to an undisclosed factory in Ohio for final assembly of the vehicles set to launch here in late 2009.

When you look at the history of Mahindra and their well established, long term relationship with International Truck and Engine Corporation; many of the pieces fall in place. International’s Springfield Assembly Plant in Springfield, Ohio would be a great facility to assemble the new Mahindra light trucks. The Springfield Assembly Plant certainly has the capacity and capability to build light trucks efficiently and economically. The entire infrastructure required to build a body-on-frame vehicle is in place. And you cannot forget Springfield is where International built bodies for their own line of tough light trucks such as the Scout and Travelall from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. Building trucks runs in the blood of that community, and they would do justice to Mahindra’s vehicles and commitment to making a high quality vehicle.

This leaves the question: Could International create a modern day Scout based upon the Mahindra chassis and drivetrain? Absolutely. Depending upon International’s motivation… With ties to Ford reduced to ‘business only’, any light truck non-compete agreements are likely to be in the circular file. GM has recently washed their hands of any interest in the company as well. International is now able to pursue any market they wish. With Mahindra, they have a ready-made chassis and powertrain that fits right in with their core product: High Quality, Rugged, and Efficient Diesel Trucks.

With the engineering, design, styling, testing, marketing, dealer, and distribution resources International has, and modern body assembly and painting facilities in Springfield; an updated Scout could easily be produced with minimal investment. International-bodied trucks could roll down the same line as Mahindra-bodied trucks. With the current US market affinity for retro styled vehicles, the timing is perfect for a modern Scout. With a heavy duty chassis and powertrain, top value and fuel efficiency, and styling that is modern with a nod to International’s past (think Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro) this is an easy build and an easy sell.

The time is right: Please International, make this happen!

Mahindra Pickup USA: How big will it be? How much will it cost?

I was originally going to use this entry to detail the known and surmised technical specifications for the Mahindra pickups that the US market will get in late 2009. However, I’ve decided to highlight a few of the basic specs people want to know:

Price: Mahindra claims that starting price will be around USD $20,000 for a base single cab (seats 2), 2-wheel drive truck. I’m guessing this will be closer to $23,000 - $24,000 by launch. Keep in mind a base truck will likely come with LSD rear axle, A/C, cruise, power windows, CD player, 4-wheel discs, electronic stability control, 60,000 mile warranty, etc.

Size: The photos are deceiving. The Mahindra is slightly larger than a typical mid-size (i.e. Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma) pickup. So, it’s larger than a ‘small’ light truck, but not as big as any full size offering.

Power: The Mahindra Trucks will all get a 4-cylinder turbo diesel. Specs (and speculation!) for Mahindras sold around the world vary. It is most likely the US will get a power plant rated somewhere between 200 lb-ft and 250 lb-ft of torque.

Fuel Economy: Mahindra claims 28-35 miles per gallon.

Notable Mechanical Features: All trucks will come with LSD rear axle standard. Rear suspension will likely be semi-elliptical leaf sprung. Front suspension will be torsion sprung, independent (so hardcore off-road guys may be disappointed). 6-speed automatic transmission will be the only transmission. Load capacity will be 2000 – 2600 pounds (500 to 1100 pounds more than a Frontier or Tacoma). Since load rating is based on the weakest part, this tells you how robust the Mahindra will be… Very.

To see specs for the Australian market Mahindra Pik-Up, click HERE

To see known specs for the US market Mahindra Pickup, click HERE

Mahindra People

Mahindra will undoubtedly have a long and winding road leading to the hearts and minds of the United States’ small and mid-size light truck customer. In late 2009 Mahindra will introduce its diesel pick-up truck to the US market at a time when petroleum-based fuel prices are the highest they have ever been, and the sales of light trucks are at record lows. This is a significant cultural shift for such a truck-centric, and recreation loving society.

The question is: Does Mahindra have what it takes to introduce a new vehicle in the US at possibly the worst time and make it a success?

The answer is: Yes.

This is not a simple “yes” though. There are many reasons to give for this prediction of success. The most compelling reason for me is Mahindra’s people. If you are curious, spend some time reading the employee blogs at Mahindra Universe. These people are smart, innovative, globally knowledgeable, and passionate about Mahindra. Realize that the people are the backbone of any corporation. A miserable corporate atmosphere will breed questionable product. I won’t site examples here, but I’m sure you can think of a few. On the other side of that, a corporate atmosphere of growth, encouragement, and appreciation can produce a world-changing product. A company with the right attitude has the ability to make molehills out of mountains. Think Apple or Google.

This is taking just a small bite out of this topic. The point is that Mahindra is powerful via the strength of its people. We’ll dive deeper into the world of Mahindra in future posts!