Those of you wishing for a sensible, small, utilitarian diesel engined pickup truck are about to get your wish. The Wall Street Journal reports Mahindra & Mhaindra's plan to release its Appalachian model mid-size pickup is on schedule for 2009. Previous reports tell us that the truck will feature a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel rated at 150hp and 300 ft. lbs. Preliminary specifications tell of a six-speed automatic transmission, electronic stability control and a 7.5 ft. long bed. Mahindra's importer Global Vehicles (GV) has a… er… colorful history. Some years ago, GV tried to import a mini-Hummer style vehicle from Aro S.A. of Romania. The effort went down in flames; the Romanians could never jump the safety and emissions regulatory hurdles. Mahindra, on the other hand, is a far more capable company than Aro and is already a force in the U.S. farm tractor market. More fantastic is Mahindra's claim that it will release a diesel-electric hybrid version in (you know it, you love it) 2010. Competition in the shrinking U.S. light truck market shows no signs of letting up. Now if it could just begin…
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This could very well be the right vehicle at the right time. There will always be a need for pick’em up trucks, but the days of the leather-laden F-250s are numbered.
Remember the late 70s when Toyota and Nissan introduced their small, cheap, yet capable pick-ups to North America? India could be the new Japan!
Any news on a 4×4 version or Canadian sales?
Still, Mahindra’s bet on the U.S. is risky.
The overall light-vehicle industry is moving at what is at least a decade-slow pace, and truck sales have declined by 28.4% this year as consumers wrestle with gasoline that costs more than $4 a gallon.
I have a Mahindra tractor and have loved it. 7/8ths the equivalent John Deere at 1/3rd the price. Parts haven’t been a problem… haven’t needed 1 in 700 hours of use.
Priced right, if I haven’t bought a stripper full-sized truck by then, I’ll consider one of these trucks if the price is right. I think I commented earlier I wasn’t so hot for the “Appalachian” name… it’s construed as a negative stereotype around here, I can imagine it’s worse in actual Appalachian areas.
In my head, if this thing is any better than a Ranger, priced the same or less than a Tacoma/Frontier and gets low 30’s on the highway, it’s a homerun.
In my head, if this thing is any better than a Ranger, priced the same or less than a Tacoma/Frontier and gets low 30’s on the highway, it’s a homerun.
Even those of us who never need a pickup will buy one too… It will start Truck craze once again.
I read (somewhere) that the Appalachian name is a non-starter and won’t be used. There’s a place for this vehicle in the market, I think.
I’d be interested but… First, let’s see how the crash tests go. Will it fold up like an accordion? And will it have good fuel economy for its size or will it be another Aveo-type disappointment?
Ray H
I think I commented earlier I wasn’t so hot for the “Appalachian” name… it’s construed as a negative stereotype around here, I can imagine it’s worse in actual Appalachian areas.
I live in Southern Appalachia and I don’t think there’s much negative connotation with the name among most living generations today. There are too many positives (like “Appalachian State University” and “The Appalachian Trail”) to counter some of the older negatives–like some of the media portrayals of backwoods towns during the Johnson Administration “war on poverty” era.
To me (age 29), Appalachian evokes sort of a pure, traditional, hardworking mentality. I think it’s a great name for a work vehicle, even though that’s a lot of syllables :D
Mahindra tractors have a good reputation and seem to be a good value for the dollar. If the truck is only half that they should have a hit. My dad’s farm partner had a little Datsun truck in the early 70’s, great little beast for running around with a fuel can or some parts in the back. He used to take crap for it but it always ran and got the job done.
It’s about damn time someone brought a truck like this to the American market. Question to GM: Don’t you guys make trucks or something? Where’s my diesel Chevy LUV?
Blunozer: The Datsun 1000 “mini” truck made its US debut at the 1958 Los Angeles Imported Car Show, and went on sale in early 1959.
Don’t recall when the first Toyota Hi-Lux mini truck was imported here, but it wasn’t too long after Datsun’s went on sale, prolly in the mid 1960’s.
In the mid 1980’s, the Ranger was offered with diesel engines (one from Mazda, t’other from Mitsubishi)…neither one sold worth a hoot.
It was the right vehicle at the wrong time.
A bit of a digression…
Appalachian? Even if it doesn’t end up being used, it’s proof that all of the good names for cars have been taken.
What is a celica, or a camry, or a sentra? They’re names that PR outfits came up with that don’t mean anything in the English language and my spell check doesn’t recognize them.
Appalachian is at least a real word, but it seems more like a desperate reach for a cool car name. Say what you want about the Mustang, but without seeing the car the name evokes something in an English-speakers consciousness. Whether it’s a bunch of fast wild horses galloping across a dramatic western landscape or a lightning-fast fighter aircraft roaring through war-torn skies, Mustang means something and Ford needs to keep that name alive.
Yeah, but will a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood or sheetrock fit between the wheel wells?
Both 4×2 and 4×4 versions are said to be on the menu. Assembly is to be in Ohio with interiors by Lear. Mahindra claims to have spent $80M bringing the vehicle up to US emissions and safety specs. It will be interesting to see if they go for a 50-state diesel engine or only market in those states which don’t follow California’s standards. My bet is that they will start in the non-CA compliant markets, but I’m just guessing.
How about some other mountain ranges instead?
Mahindra Wasatch
Mahindra Sangre de Cristo (might have some issues here)
Mahindra Cascade (detergent?)
Mahindra Bitteroot (awkward)
Mahindra Ozark (might work)
Mahindra Himalaya (there we go. Take it back home!)
If this thing can fit 4 x 8 sheets of whatever, gets decent fuel economy and is priced right, Mahindra probably won’t be able to build them fast enough.
I was talking to the owner of my gym yesterday, and he works as a surveyor. He was telling me that he’d like a 4 cylinder diesel pickup to replace his 18 MPG Dakota, but no one sells them! He doesn’t want a Powerstroke/Cummins/Duramax powered truck because he has no need for such a huge vehicle. He’s looked into the old 80s diesel trucks, but aside from trying to even find one, they’re way too old these days to be a reliable daily driver without a lot of preventative maintenance. I’d definitely check one out, especially since it seems VW will never sell a compact truck again in North America.
2.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel rated at 150hp and 300 ft. lbs
thats more power than a 300 sd, ours was old technology.
3 litre 120 HP only.
same q. is it coming to Canada?
I’d like to replace my F-150 with a small truck but refuse to buy another Ford. Too many problems with Ford cars and trucks have left me wanting someone else to make a small truck.
I wish Toyota and Nissan still made the small trucks they were famous for. The resale on them is incredible too.
IF this truck is affordable and has a long warranty they are going to clean house.
To me (age 29), Appalachian evokes sort of a pure, traditional, hardworking mentality. I think it’s a great name for a work vehicle, even though that’s a lot of syllables :D
I feel that way too, Ash, my mom’s side “came up” to Ohio from Appalachia for jobs. They carved out a niche as gravediggers of all things, and when they saw that was fleeting, got into selling backhoes and industrial equipment (they knew everyone at graveyards to sell to!).
In more recent years, even though Dayton (Ohio) is still largely descendant of Appalachian areas, it’s viewed more and more as a negative by white-collar folks, at least in the greater Dayton area. Maybe because we’re losing factory jobs and there’s more unemployment? I don’t know. I fear close-minded folks would never buy an “Appalachian” because of their now negative view of that word. Or it would be some running joke with the folks who buy them.
I wish I could look up my last post from a few months ago, I came up with a name or two, as well!
I love it!
Now if they avoid car franchisees and sell it through their tractor dealers they will take over the market.
Well, I guess that proves my assumption that a work truck can be built now with an engine producing 120+ hp and 200+ foot-lbs of torque that gets 30+ mpg. As a matter of fact it produces even better pwoer numbers than what I figured would be minimally needed to make it a true work truck. It appears that the truck will be quite capable with a payload capacity of 2,600 lbs. Now to see if people will buy it and what the build quality will be.
brettc
I was talking to the owner of my gym yesterday, and he works as a surveyor. He was telling me that he’d like a 4 cylinder diesel pickup to replace his 18 MPG Dakota, but no one sells them!
Chrylser has the ability to make this very vehicle. Just drop that 2.8L VM Motori into the Dakota. The engineering is already done the Dakota shares the same platforms and drive train as the Liberty/Nitro/Durango. In an off-road optimized Liberty with a poorly matched automatic transmission the engine gives 24-26mpg. With better gear ratios and a 6sp manual it could easily get to 30mpg.
Mahindra could borrow from Toyota and just call it the “Truck”. Before the larger T100/Tundra came out the smaller pickup was just the truck.
I would love to LEASE one of these for 2-3 years when they come out. I’d be leery of buying one for the first decade or so in case they go Daewoo on me.
Now imagine this drive train in smaller off-road optimized package sold as a Hummer and you have a true competitor for Jeep.
BuckD Says:
It’s about damn time someone brought a truck like this to the American market. Question to GM: Don’t you guys make trucks or something? Where’s my diesel Chevy LUV?
You kinda “get” the LUV there… it’s just called Colorado/Canyon. Change the face of the thing, and voilà: Isuzu D-Max… or Chevy LUV D-Max
Just ask GM to install the Isuzu 3.0lt TDi engine into it. And then beg that the press doesn’t bash it to hell when launched because: it’s noisy, smelly and so on… It sounds like a proper diesel truck, I must add.
But, big but, “never, ever do wrong” Toyota also sells a diesel Hilux (Tacoma for you US) in other countries.
Also, Ford sells down here in Latin America a Ranger (US model) with a MWM or Cummins diesel… don’t remember exactly the engine brand
Aren’t we tired yet of all the “experts” telling us how poorly diesel sales in the US are going to be?
Some of us have been begging American auto makers to provide us with an affordable passenger-style diesel vehicle for years, but as has been the trend the auto makers continue to push projects they think we want. With few alternatives, they’ve kept selling what they think we need instead of what consumers ask for. Detroit is trying to bury the Mahindra rollout before it’s even launched and I would suggest directly contacting GV-USA and Mahindra to voice support for their plans to market a practical vehicle with a practical diesel engine.
I know I have, and Pawan Goenka personally thanked me for the reassurance that Americans don’t hate trucks and suvs – just the gas-guzzling monsters we’ve been offered. I’m guessing there’s going to a lot of Big 3 auto execs having to justify to their boards why they missed the boat when Mahindra’s sales numbers materialize.
Sad that our stateside auto makers became so complacent, but not it’s time to pay the fiddler – or would that be Saringda player…?
Canada? NO.
I asked both parent Mahindra and also GV and got the apologetic answer that No, the truck won’t be coming to Canada in next couple of years. If it succeeds in the US I’m sure it will appear in Canada.
I am dissapointed at the prospect of having to buy a unit body car with plastic bumpers, and an interference engine with an inaccesible rubber timing belt in the interim.
If this truck does everything Mahindra says it can. I might, just might, trade in my 1989 Toyota 1 ton. The only thing I wish it could have is a manual transmission and wheel locks on its 4 wheel drive.