Breaking: Mahindra Launches Xylo Pickup, Genio!

The Xylo-based pickup launched in India today.  The Mahindra Genio website is now live: http://www.mahindragenio.com/

MP will update this post with more details as they emerge so keep checking back!

Source: IndianAutosBlog, BSMotoring

Mahindra-Ssangyong Mashup Taking Shape

The first physical evidence of the possible re-branding of Ssangyong products as Mahindras has been captured. A Ssangyong Rexton with Mahindra Scorpio style tail lights was spotted in India.


Shrawan Raja and IndianAutosBlog.com are on top of things as usual. Two weeks ago they showed a rendered photo of a Ssangyong Korando C with a Mahindra-esque grill. This week they have grabbed news of the Xylo pickup launch and now photos of a Rexton with Scorpio details.

This leaves MP to ask: When Mahindra finally sends some vehicles over to the US, will they be sporting Ssangyong or Mahindra logos?

Source: http://www.indianautosblog.com/

New Xylo-Based Pickup To Launch This Week

Our friends at IndianAutosBlog are reporting this morning that Mahindra has invited them to the launch of a “Next Generation Small Commercial Vehicle” in India on January 27th.

IAB is convinced that this is the much rumored utility pickup version of the Xylo people mover. Similar to the MUC image featured on the Mahindra North America website, but with a utility cargo bed instead of conventional pickup box with integrated styling.

For more info and photos, go to: Breaking: Mahindra “Small Commercial Vehicle” Coming on Jan 27

Source: IndianAutosBlog

Mahindra, Indian for 'Rise'

With the help of New York-based ad agency StrawberryFrog, Mahindra has announced that it will begin using a singular global branding campaign for all facets of its international business.


Mahindra will use the word ‘Rise’ to unify and identify all of their global business entities from tractors and defense, to SUV’s and information technology services.

"For Mahindra, 'Rise' means achieving world class standards in everything we do, setting new benchmarks of excellence and conquering tough global markets," Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd

Mahindra announced last year that it was impressed with the work of StrawberryFrog (Fosters Beer being one of their better known ad campaigns in the US) and had partnered with them for a global branding effort. You may recall that StrawberryFrog had originally been hired by Mahindra’s US pickup truck distribution partner, Global Vehicles, in 2008 to create a grassroots advertising campaign for the perpetually delayed Mahindra TR20 and TR40 compact diesel pickups. Neither the ad campaign nor the vehicles ever materialized.

With two of four US partners left standing (StrawberryFrog and Navistar), we just hope that Mahindra will ‘Rise’ to their commitment to bringing their pickups and SUVs to America.

Source: The Economic Times

Mahindra Makes the Top Ten

Probably not the Top Ten list Mahindra hoped to be on, but the epic tragedy that the Mahindra story has become in the US certainly garnered a lot of press in 2010. PickupTrucks.com ranked the Mahindra launch failure as their Number 1 news story of 2010. Note to Mahindra: This is not a good thing.

Top 10 Pickup Truck New Stories of 2010: No. 1: Mahindra’s Compact Diesel Pickup Truck Implodes Before Launch

Farewell 2010 and hope for a brighter 2011 for the Mahindra pickup.

Source: http://www.pickuptrucks.com/

US Mahindra-Navistar Alliance: A Possibility

Hope is fading fast for a timely resolution to the battle for distribution rights to sell the first Indian made pickup trucks in America.
Over the last six months, Americans anticipating the launch of Mahindra’s TR20 and TR40 diesel pickups have instead witnessed a war of words played out in US courts, UK arbitration, and scalding press releases. The conflict between US based distributor, Global Vehicles USA (GV), and Indian industrial conglomerate and automaker, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (Mahindra), has played out like an epic Hollywood divorce.

The occasional glimmer of hope that Mahindra and GV could resolve their differences and bring TR pickups to market have regularly led to solemn disappointment for hopeful customers. The resulting rollercoaster ride has left some potential buyers barfing at the exit and others running to get back in line for another ride.

Recent statements by Pawan Goenka, automotive sector president of Mahindra & Mahindra, pours more fuel on the fire:

"There is always the possibility of having an alliance with Navistar in the US as we have an alliance with them in India already, but nothing has been finalized yet,”

Sentiment in the Indian press indicates that Mahindra does not have any interest in continuing it’s partnership with GV no matter how the legal battle ends. Mahindra officials refuse to comment on the lawsuit, and little word has made its way out of GV’s Alpharetta, Georgia headquarters in months.

Although Mahindra seems bent on bypassing the company who laid much of the groundwork for their US automobile entry (GV), they have consistently stated that they see the US as a key strategic market for their brand. Judging by their acquisition of Korean automaker, Ssangyong Motor, and the development of more worldly vehicles like the W201 SUV, Mahindra is on track for launching US products… some day.

Source: Business Standard