Global Vehicles John Perez Responds to Lack of EPA Application

Posted today on Mahindra Truck Forum, GV president John Perez, spoke via telephone with the forum’s administrator, Andy Isaacson, to discuss and respond to the PickupTrucks.com article revealing that Mahindra had not yet applied for EPA certification required to sell the Indian-built pickup trucks in the US. All responses on various subjects are quoted from the forum post.

EPA certification
“Just got off the phone with John Perez, the president of Global Vehicles. It was a good conversation. He re-affirmed that they are not delayed from their mid to late spring release. The EPA Certification is the last thing on the list after all the testing and hard work has been done. He said that there are Mahindra pickups all over the US, testing, testing, testing in every condition possible. That has been the reason for some of the delays because Mahindra wants to make sure that nothing goes wrong when they actually sell them here. EPA Certification is just around the corner which means that so are the trucks.”

Warranty and Pricing
“As far as warranty goes, that is still not 100% decided. As far as pricing goes, they are expecting that they will not make any money on the sales of the initial Indian made Mahindra trucks due to the chicken tax. However, wether made in India or the US, they plan on pricing the vehicle to be as affordable as possible to the consumer. It does not sound like they are planning a sudden price drop on the US made ones.”

Parts Supply to the US
“For parts, Mahindra will be using a separate company that specializes in parts distribution that already has warehouses all over the US. It's what this company does best and they will be able to get parts to the dealers quickly.”

Dealer Service
“Similar to the parts, the tech training will also be handled by a separate company that specializes in training technicians all over the US.”

The complete post can be found here: Mahindra Truck Forum: EPA Certification

Bombshell! Mahindra Has Not Applied for EPA Certs, Delays Likely?

PickupTrucks.com broke news yesterday that Mahindra has still not applied for US Environmental Protection Agency certification. The certification is required for Mahindra to prove that they meet all federal emissions requirements in order to sell the TR20 and TR40 pickups in the United States.

US launch of the Indian-made diesel pickup trucks have been delayed several times over the last two years. Could this cause further delays in availability at the 300+ dealers that have been established around the country?

As of late yesterday, dealers had not received any statements from Mahindra truck importer, Global Vehicles, regarding this news. The level of disappointment in the US Mahindra truck fan community is significant to say the least.

Previous statements from Global Vehicles indicated that Mahindra trucks would receive EPA and NHTSA approvals in the first quarter of 2010.

We will update as we learn more…

Source: PickupTrucks.com

Bootleggers Choice: Mahindra Pickups!

Last week Indian police caught two individuals attempting to illegally transport IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) from Haryana to Jaipur (around 150 miles) after a police chase involving officers from three police stations.

The two suspects taken into custody were driving a Maruti (Indian Suzuki) while another two individuals got away after escaping the chase and abandoning their Mahindra pickup.

The suspects avoided police barricades and attempted to create their own road blocks by tossing the illicit booze onto the roadway in hopes of stopping traffic. Needless to say the Mahindra was the better vehicle for evading police, not that Mahindra Planet condones such behavior.

It does leave one to wonder if Mahindra’s original working name for the TR20 and TR40 pickups, Appalachian, was intended to appeal to American moonshiners or bootleggers of the southeastern United States.

Source: Times of India (complete news article)

Jalopnik.com: Mahindra TR40 Spied in Utah

Jalopnik posted a couple of new spy photos of a TR40 found testing in Springdale, Utah yesterday.

They have also posted a poll asking: Is the Mahindra Pickup Ugly?

Click here to go to the article and vote: Poll: Mahindra Pickup Spied Again on US Soil – Is It Fugly?

As of this morning it’s split with over 3000 votes.

Images and Source: Jalopnik.com

Foreshadowing the US Scorpio SUV

Great article today from our friends at Indian Autos Blog: Mahindra Scorpio Automatic Transmission Launched in Egypt

Egypt-market Scorpios are built in Egypt by Bavarian Auto Group. Note that the specifications on the new automatic version read like US-market TR specs. Including the 2.2 Liter m-Hawk engine, airbags, and ABS. This is certainly close to the specifications the US will be getting in late 2010.

An interesting note: Scorpios are available with a gasoline engine option in Egypt.

Source: IndianAutosBlog

PickupTrucks.com Report: Small Pickup Trucks Suck in Crash Tests

PickupTrucks.com posted a report by Larry Edsall late yesterday regarding IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) crash ratings for US-market, compact to mid-size pickups. The IIHS conclusions are… painful.

Only the Nissan Frontier (Suzuki Equator) received a ‘Good’ rating for rollover crash, roof crush safety and performed better overall than all of the trucks tested. Yet it was still not a top pick. The virtually antique Ford Ranger was second best of the bunch and the Dodge Dakota’s side-curtain air bags failed to deploy in the side impact test. The Toyota Tacoma barely bettered the bottom finishing GM Colorado/Canyon twins. In general they all sucked.

We are expecting that Mahindra has done their homework on crash safety and will ensure that the TR20/TR40 pickups arriving in April will at least outperform the worst of this bunch. Australian crash tests from several years ago weren’t so positive, but the trucks have been updated for the US market and (we assume) have received NHTSA approval since then.

The full PickupTrucks.com article with details on each truck can be found here: Small Pickup Trucks Lag in IIHS Crash and Roof Crush Tests
A link to the ANCAP crash safety assessment of the TR40 can be found here: Mahindra TR40 Crash Test Video

USA Mahindra Dealer Directory

The Mahindra Planet Dealer Directory includes all US Mahindra dealers who are known to be awaiting the arrival of Mahindra TR20 and TR40 diesel pickups in the USA.  The Directory is comprised of listings from Mahindra North America (Global Vehicles USA), dealer contacts with Mahindra Planet, and http://www.mahindratruckblog.com/ , and other sources.

If you are a dealer who wishes to be added to this list (or have your information updated), or have a tip about a dealer in your area, please contact MahindraPlanet: Christian.Winfield@MahindraPlanet.com. 
Click on the dealer name to go to their website or source of news. Also check out http://www.mahindraplanet.com/, http://www.mahindratruckblog.com/, and http://www.mahindratruckforum.com/ for other dealer news.

Alabama
Birmingham – Jim Burk Automotive Group
Birmingham – Serra Automotive Group
Dothan - Mike Schmitz Automotive Group
Huntsville - Century Automotive Group
Mobile - Grady Buick
Montgomery - Serra Chevrolet
Tuscaloosa - Contemporary Mitsubishi

Alaska

Arkansas
Little Rock – Mahindra of Little Rock or Mahindra Arkansas or Taj Mahal Auto Group
Springdale - Jim Bryant Motors, Inc
Texarkana - Lovelis Enterprise

Arizona
Avondale - Avondale Automotive Inc
Flagstaff - McCoy Motors
Peoria - Moore Chrysler Jeep
Phoenix - Chapman BMW
Tempe - Chapman Chevrolet
Tuscon - Emich Subaru
Tuscon - Royal Buick Co Inc

California
Clovis - Decker Ford Inc
Concord - Future Ford of Concord
Costa Mesa - Theodore Robins Inc
Elk Grove - Snider Motor Cars Inc
Indio - Group Riso Inc
Lompoc - Sunset Auto Center Inc
National City - Perry Automotive Group
North Hills - Galpin Ford
Roseville - Future Ford of Roseville
San Diego - Dion International Trucks
San Jose - Almaden Inc
San Luis Obispo - Riso Motor Company
Stockton - Mataga Olds-Cadillac-GMC Truck Inc

Colorado
Aurora - Tynan's Volkswagon Inc
Brighton - Brightom Ford Inc
Colorado Springs - Phil Long Ford, LLC
Denver (Greater) – Tynan’s Isuzu
Fort Collins - Fort Collins Nissan Inc
Littleton - Phil Long Ford, LLC
Longmont - Valley Nissan-Subaru

Connecticut
Manchester - Lynch Motors Inc
New London - Whaling City Motors
Thomaston - Modern Motors Inc.
Wallingford - Vertucci Automotive

Delaware
Dover - C.F. Schwartz Motor Co. Inc
Wilmington - Future Ford Sales Inc.

Florida
Brandon Point - Crown Euro Cars
Brooksville - Register Chevrolet
Deland/Orlando – Kaiser Pontiac
Delray Beach - Mahindra of Delray
Delray Beach - Presidential Leasing, Inc.
Fort Meade - Greenwood Chevrolet
Fort Myers - Galloway Family of Dealerships GW, Inc.
Ft. Pierce - Sunrise Ford Company
Green Grove Springs - Garber Chevrolet Buick Pontiac GMC Truck
Jacksonville - Nimnicht Chevrolet Company
Leesburg - Import Sales of Lake County
Merritt Island - Island Lincoln Mercury
Miami - Unika Motors Atlantic Leasing
Naples - Tamiami Ford Inc.
Ocala - B&Q II LLC (Turning Wheel RV)
Panama City - Mike Schmitz Automotive Group
Pensacola - Vince Whibbs
Pompano Beach - Modern Auto
Punta Gorda - Charlotte County Lincoln & Mercury
Sarasota – Mahindra Southpointe
St. Petersburg - Crown Auto Dealerships, Inc.
Sunrise - Sawgrass Ford, Inc.
Tampa - Lokey Truck & 4x4 Center, Inc.
Wesley Chapel - Pascoe Motorcars LLC
West Palm Beach - Schumacher Auto Group
Winter Garden - Wheels for Sale

Georgia
Alpharetta - JJL Holdings, LLC
Augusta – Gerald Jones Dealer Group
Cartersville - Casey McGraw
Columbus - Gateway Lincoln Mercury
Covington - Ginn Motor Company
Douglasville - Westside Investment Group LLC
Gainesville - Milton Martin
Martinez - Gerald Jones VW Inc
Milledgeville - Childre Mahindra
Morrow – Allan Vigil Ford-Lincoln-Mercury
Norcross - Crown Euro Cars
Perry - Mid-State Automotive II
Savannah - Critz Inc.
Sylvester - Langdale Chevrolet Pontiac Oldsmobile, Inc.
Union City - Don Jackson Imports Cars, Inc.

Hawaii
Kailua Kona - Kona HI

Idaho
Boise – Dillon Auto Park

Illinois
Belleville - Southern Illinois Mahindra
Bloomington - Sam Leman I LLC
Decatur - Bob Brady Auto Mall
Machesney - Speedway Auto Mall Inc
Matteson – Hawkinson Nissan
McHenry - Gary Lang Imports
Milan - Bob Eriksen Chevrolet Inc
Montgomery - Yahoo Auto Mall Inc
O'Fallon - Jack Schmitt Mahindra
Palatine - The Palatine Automotive Group Inc
Peoria - Sam Leman I LLC
Schaumburg - William Nazha
Shorewood - Ron Tirapelli Ford
Skokie - Siglers Auto Sales
South Barrington - St Charles Motors LLC
Urbana - O'Brien Auto Park Inc
Virden - Freedom Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Jeep
Willowbrook - Willowbrook Ford

Indiana
Elkhart - Tom Naquin Chevrolet-Nissan-Cadillac
Ft. Wayne - Glenbrook Dodge Inc
Greenville - John Jones Automotive Group
Greenwood (Indianapolis) – Ray Skillman Performance Ford
Indianapolis - Ray Skillman GMC Truck
Lafayette - Defouw Chevrolet
Merriville - Team Imports LLC
West Harrison – Mahindra of Southeastern Indiana
Zionsville – Pearson Ford

Iowa
Boone - Moffitt Inc
Cedar Rapids - Bob Zimmerman Ford
Davenport - D&D Hummer
Dubuque - Mike Finnin Motors Inc
Grimes - Charles Gabus Ford
Sioux City - Knoepfler Chevrolet Co

Kansas
Olathe - Olathe Ford-Lincoln-Mercury
Salina - Long McArthur Inc
Wichita - Sunflower State Enterprises, Inc

Kentucky
Hardin - Premier Motors Leasing Inc
Louisville - Sam Swope Auto Group
Nicholasville - US Car, LLC
Paris - Daniel Cummins Chevrolet Buick Pontiac Inc
Somerset - Tri City Motors Inc

Louisiana
New Orleans - Hurricane Mahindra Inc


Maine
Bangor - Village Car Company
Falmouth - Morong Brothers Inc
Waterville - Central Maine Chrysler

Maryland
Baltimore - Bob Bell Chevrolet-Nissan Inc
Bel Air - Bob Bell Chevrolet
Frederick – FSK Automotive
Gaithersburg - King Mahindra
Glen Burnie - Bob Bell Ford Hyundai-Kia
Hagerstown - King Hagerstown Motors
Preston - Preston Mahindra Inc
Randallstown - Prestige Imports Inc
Waldorf - Carriage House Automotive

Massachusetts
Acton – Acton Lincoln-Mercury
Chicopee - Unique Motors Inc
Lawrence - Commonwealth Motors
Methuen - General Truck Center

Michigan
Bay City - Thelen Auto Group
Clinton Township - Mt. Clemens Auto Center Inc
Detroit – Mt. Clemens Auto Center
Detroit – Lochmoor Automotive
Detroit - BT Auto Inc
Grandville - Borgman Imports
Grand Rapids - Enterprises by J. Woods, Inc
Jackson - Daves Jackson Nissan-Suzuki
Lansing – Paradise Motors
Sterling Heights - Crest Lincoln Mercury Inc.
Vicksburg - Crosslander of Kalamazoo
Westland – North Brothers Ford

Minnesota
Buffalo - Ryan Automotive
Duluth - Pen Motors
Elk River - Cornerstone Auto Resource
Elk River - Elk River Ford
Hastings - Hastings Automotive Inc
Hermantown (Minneapolis/St Paul) – Miller Hill Subaru
Northfield - Furlong Chevrolet Buick Inc
Sauk Centre - John Wiese Ford Inc
Shakopee - Cartiva of Burnsville
St. Paul - Longs Auto Place

Mississippi
Canton - Watson Quality Mahindra
Hattiesburg – Smith Motor Company

Missouri
Carthage - Carthage Ford
Columbia – Estes Motors, Inc
Fenton - Automotive Leasing Corp
Kansas City - Randy Reed Buick-GMC Inc
Raytown (Kansas City) – Dick Smith Auto Group
Rogersville - Premier Auto Outlet
St. Joseph - Randy Reed Chevrolet LLC
St. Louis - Ackerman Toyota
St. Louis - Lou Fusz Automotive Group
St. Petersburg - Automotive Leasing Corp
Republic - Beine Group LLC

Montana
Billings - Archie Cochrane Motors, Inc

Nebraska
Bellevue/Omaha - Schworer (former Saturn dealership)
Fremont - Diers Incorporated
Lincoln - Schworer (former Saturn dealership)
Norfork - (unconfirmed)

Nevada
Henderson - Valley Automotive
Las Vegas - Jim Marsh American Corp
Las Vegas - Silver State Ford

New Hampshire
Nashua - Peters Auto Sales Inc
North Conway - Crest Chevrolet Inc
Salem - Holloway Automotive

New Jersey
Budd Lake - Kevil Chevrolet
East Windsor - Haldeman Ford of Hightstown
Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic City area) – Chapman Ford
Maple Shade - Holman Automotive Group
Ridgewood - Ken Smith Motors, Inc
Woodbridge – Mauro Motors

New Mexico
Albuquerque - Melloy Brothers Inc
Farmington - Farmington Motors

New York
Depew (Buffalo) – Joe Basil
Elmira - Simmons-Rockwell Autoplaza
Ithaca - Maguire Automotive Group
Jamestown - Shults Auto Group
Latham - Keeler Motor Car Co. LP
Mohegan Lake - Mohegan Lake Motors Inc
Newburgh - Barton Chevrolet Inc
New Hyde Park - Rallye Motors
Rhinebeck - Ruges Automotive
Rochester - Dorschel Mahindra
Staten Island - Villa Marin Motors Corp
Syracuse - Crest Cadillac Corp
Vestal - Matthews on the Parkway Inc
West Seneca - Laks Motors

North Carolina
Asheville - Black Hawk - Asheville
Boone - Southern States Subaru
Burgaw - LKN
Cary - Auto Park Imports
Charlotte - Scott Cars
Cornelius - Bold W. Imports LLC
Durham – Mahindra of the Triangle/European Performance Inc
Fayetteville - Leith of Fayetteville Inc
Gastonia - Earl Tindol Ford
Greensboro - Smith Stokes Automotive
Hickory - Black Hawk - Hickory
High Point - Horace G. Ilderton
Jacksonville - Sanders Ford
Raleigh - Leith Inc Raleigh
Reidsville - Smith Stokes Enterprises Inc
Wilmington/Jacksonville - MahindraNC
Winston-Salem - Bold W. Imports LLC

North Dakota
Minot - Minot Chysler Center

Ohio
Akron - Park Arlington Hill Corp
Ashland – Aber’s Truck Center
Cleveland - Motorcars Mahindra
Dublin - Immke Crestview Cadillac
Lebanon - Bob Pulte Chevrolet
Massillon - Progressive Mahindra
Parma - Axelrod Brothers LLC
Toledo – Taylor Auto

Oklahoma
Edmund - Bob Moore Auto Group LLC
El Reno - Frontier Chevrolet Co
Lawton - Billingsley Hyundai Group, Inc
Norman - Big Red Sports
Tulsa - All Save Autoplx

Oregon
Bend - Rodderson Ford Sales Inc
Hillsboro - Royal Moore Buick-Pontiac-GMC Inc
Portland - Dick Hannah Dealerships
Tigard (Portland) - Landmark Mahindra

Pennsylvania
Adamsburg - US Auto Mart Inc
Allentown - Haldeman Lincoln-Mercury
Belle Vernon - C. Harper Chevrolet
Chambersburg - Forrester Lincoln-Mercury Inc
Clearfield - Auto Mart of Clearfield inc
Conshohocken - Frederick Chevrolet-Cadillac Inc
Doylestown - Thompson Toyota Inc
East Petersburg - Allen Import Ltd
Girard - Bob Ferrando Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Sales Inc
Hughesville - Murray Motors Auto Exchange LLC
Kittanning - Walker Motor Company
Kutztown - Haldeman Ford-Lincoln-Mercury-Mahindra
Lebanon - Frederick Chevrolet-Cadillac-Hyundai-Toyota Inc
Monroeville - Auffenberg Imports Inc
Newtown Square - Frank C. Videon
New Holland - Beans Class Ford Mercury Inc
Pittsburgh - Bob Cochran Motors
Pittston - Ken Pollock Auto Group Inc
Reading - Savage Suzuki Inc
Trevose - Faulkner Organization
Washington - Tomsic Motor Co.
West Mifflin - Phantom Motorcycles
Wexford - Wright Hyundai Inc
York - Apple Automotive
York - Westgate Chevrolet Inc

Rhode Island
Pawtucket - Country Motors Inc

South Carolina
Columbia - Love Imports
Greensville - John Finger Motors Inc
Greenwood - Emerald Auto Sales & Service
Myrtle Beach - Addy's Harbor Dodge
North Charleston – Marathon
Spartenburg - Dave Edwards Inc
Summerville - Marathon Automotive of Summerville, LLC

South Dakota
Sioux Falls - Knoepfler Chevrolet Co

Tennessee
Clarksville - Heitz Automotive Inc
Crossville – Tennessee Outdoors

Texas
Arlington - Moritz Partners LP
Austin - Leif Johnson Ford
Baytown - Community KIB Automotive
Brownsville - Luke Fruia Investments Inc
Carrollton - Sam Pack's Five Star Ford Carrollton
Carthage - Excel Ford-Lincoln-Mercury
Corpus Christi - Sames Crow - Crosstown Partners Ltd
Dallas-Ft. Worth – DFW Mahindra
Dublin - Bayer Motor Co. Inc.
Edinburg - Fiesta Chevrolet Inc
El Paso - Mission Chevrolet Ltd
Ennis - Ennis Ford-Mercury Ltd
Fort Worth - Meador Chrysler Plymouth
Garland - Jupiter Chevrolet LP
Greenville - South West Ford Lincoln Mercury of East Texas LLC
Houston - Gillman Houston I-North Houston
Houston – Helfman Mahindra
Houston - River Oaks Chrysler Jeep
Katy - Auffenberg Group Inc
Laredo - Sames Automotive Inc
Lewisville - Sam Pack's Ford Country of Lewisville
Longview - Royal Imports
Lubbock - Jim Burns Automotive Group LP
McKinney - Hopper Motors
North Richardland Hills - Five Star Ford of Texas
Orange – Automart/Granger Chevrolet - Overland Adventures
San Angelo - Angelo Auto Partners, LLC
San Antonio - Lotus of San Antonio
San Antonio - Ancira-Winton Chevrolet, Inc
Selman - Gillman Houston-San Antonio
Sherman - Helfmen Ford Inc
Temple - Johnson Bros
Texarkana - Lovelis Enterprise
Tyler - Crown Motor Company
Tyler - Legacy Imports
Weatherford - South West Autoplex LLC

Utah
Murray - Tim Dahle Imports
Ogden - John Watson Chevrolet Inc
Provo - Brent Brown Mahindra
St. George - Painter's Sun Country Mahindra

Vermont

Virginia
Chesapeake – Cavalier Auto Group
Hampton - Tysinger Motor Co., Inc.
Harrisonburg – Mahindra of Harrisonburg
Norfolk – Cavalier Auto Group
Portsmouth – Cavalier Auto Group
Radford - Harvey Chevrolet Cadillac Buick
Salem (Roanoke)- Hart Motor Company
Suffolk – Beach Ford
Springfield (DC area) - Mike Pallone Chevrolet
Virginia Beach – Cavalier Auto Group

Washington
Bellevue - One World Armada of Bellevue
Bellingham - Wilson Motors
Renton - One World Armada of Renton
Spokane - Wendle Motors Inc
Tacoma - Tacoma Subaru
Vancouver - Hannah Motor Company
Wenatchee - Cascade Autocenter (Mahindra Northwest)

West Virginia
Huntington - Dutch Miller Chevrolet
Moorefield - Markwood
Oak Hill - Surface Chevrolet

Wisconsin
Abrams - Chrysler World
Appleton - Chuck Van Horn Dodge
Fond Du Lac - Van Horn Hyundai
Menonmonee Falls - Ernie Von Schledorn Inc
Muskego - E.J. Salentine Inc
Sheboygan - Sheboygan Chrysler Center

Wyoming
Lander - Fremont Motor Co.
Rock Springs - Wyoming Trucks & Cars Inc.

Ashland, Ohio Mahindra Dealer Added to Directory

We have added Aber’s Truck Center in Ashland, Ohio to the MahindraPlanet.com Dealer Directory. Aber’s Truck Center’s Amanda Kaser tells us:

“Aber's acquired the (Mahindra) franchise in the fall of 2009 and are anxiously awaiting the Mahindra product! We are a GMC wind down dealer who has been in business since the 1950's. We are family owned and operated and also have International medium-duty and Volvo heavy-duty franchises.”

MP welcomes Aber’s to the list!

New Dealer Directory Link!
We’ve been working on an updated (and expanded) post dedicated to US dealer listings. A dedicated Dealer Directory link is now on the upper right side column. The Dealer Directory page will be updated as we find more dealers.

Mahindra to Launch Seven Vehicle Variations in 2010

Mahindra & Mahindra President, Automotive Sector, Pawan Goenka was quoted in today’s WheelsUnplugged on what’s in store for 2010-11:

“Next fiscal we will be launching 6-7 new variants of our existing models. The
new variants will cover all segments including utility vehicles, commercial
vehicles, and three wheelers.” – Pawan Goenka

The variants mentioned are likely a mix of domestic and export models. However, it is certain that two of the models will be the highly anticipated Mahindra TR20 and TR40 pickups bound for the US market by April, 2010. A third model will be a heavily re-engineered version of the Mahindra Scorpio SUV for the US market, launching in late 2010 and followed by an all-new SUV in 2011.

Source: WheelsUnplugged.com