Mahindra & Mahindra is planning to launch a range of compact SUVs and pickups in the US market in early 2009. Though the vehicles will be built in India but according to some company executives there are possibilities that they may get them assembled somewhere else. There are chances of an assemble lineage in US only, trying to evade 25% of tariff on imported pickups.
Pawan Goenka, President Mahindra Automotive Sector, talking to the media persons mentioned:
Anything we do from here on will be potentially a U.S. car. We are not going to be in the U.S. with a single model.
Mahindra will be offering five variants all of which have been derived from its SUV, Scorpio. There will be a two door pickup, two other four door pickups and two five door SUV variants. All of them will drive upon the same basic chassis with a wheelbase of 119.7 inches.
A four cylinder diesel engine with a six speed automatic transmission will be offered in all of its variants and a gasoline variant may just be added to the list down the line.
The strategy for the market will be pricing the vehicles at the lowest end. According to Pawan ‘Frankly, that is what we will have to do,” but he also added “But we are not intending that forever and ever.”
A more enhanced SUV which will be larger and more lavish than its counterparts will join the league later in the course.
The Company is riding on a confident attitude as the President Quipped that a failure would mean a failure but a success would mean better plans and more products.
[Via: AutoWeek Subscription]
