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US truck market....


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... prepare to be owned:

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/mahindra-appalachian-diesel-pickup-arrives-in-us-next-year-dies/

 

Toyota and everyone, too. Time to get off your asses and made a diesel mid-size.

It's Indian, so all you need to service it is a hammer and a crescent wrench. Plus, the load rating is actually a converted number from the Indian load bearing standard, which is measured in family members. This truck will drive around with over 100 people piled on it!

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I've been reading about plans for diesel mid-size trucks for a while now. Give it a couple years. I don't think the "Mahindra" will sway many current domestic truck buyers anyway.

 

I'm sure the same was said when Toyota and NIssian first entered the fullsize truck segment.

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I'm sure the same was said when Toyota and NIssian first entered the fullsize truck segment.

 

I agree, and I thought about this when I wrote what I did. However, nobody's gonna pay toyota money for a truck w/ only 2 doors and 150hp. I realize it's diesel w/ lots and lots of torque, but w/ such low displacement, it won't be viewed as a real full size truck by real truck guys, and it likely won't be as mod-friendly as the big cube diesels are now. This combined w/ diesel at 4.00 a gallon right now means that nobody's gonna be justifiying a diesel truck any time soon unless they can tow their house w/ it, something this goofy looking thing can't quite do.

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I'm sure the same was said when Toyota and NIssian first entered the fullsize truck segment.

Nail on da head.

 

Yes, it's ugly. I like ugly.

 

I'm sure they're going to address the US need for cab variation.

http://www.pickuptruck.com/IMAGES/stories/mahindra/perezinterview.jpg

http://www.pickuptruck.com/IMAGES/2009/mahindra/mahindra2.jpg

 

Called the Scorpio elsewhere:

http://www.autopundit.com/2007/07

 

Why doesn't John Deere make a pickup? They'd make a killing.

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When the japanese first came to america, they made a name by being cheaper than the rest. All of the compact trucks in the US market start under $20k, closer to $15k. This thing starts over $20k. As much as I would like to see a compact diesel in the market, I don't think that 30 mpg will cut it when diesel is almost a dollar a gallon more than 87 (my 96 tacoma got a hair under 30 mpg highway). Also, its ugly. Cab needs to be longer and the roofline needs to be lower, and no extended cab/four door option will really hurt it. Hardly anyone wants a regular cab these days, i know I don't.

 

Edit - just saw Eric's pictures, guess there is a four door. And I just remembered, it says 4 year warranty? I thought 10 year was pretty standard these days. I don't know that I would want something with unknown reliability and shit for a warranty.

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- Fugly

- GM is developing a compact diesel they will be offering in the 1/2 ton trucks, and I'm sure the other manufactures have stuff on the horizon too

- Remember Daewoo?

- The name alone will turn people off.

- Dealer network, though they talk it up (don't they all), will be crappy.

- Pricing won't allow it to compete.

- They are dealing with a TOUGH market, with players that have some damn nice stuff.

 

It will fail. No one is clammering for an Indian built anything. Sure, a few people will buy it (the odd-ball people), but it will be a massive failure.

 

I wonder where in Ohio the final assembly will be.

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Mike: show me 300lb ft in a mid sized truck for less $.

 

It's still a compact truck, right? Which means it might be able to safely tow about as much as my V6 Silverado. 300lb/ft of torque means dick when the chassis, brakes, suspension and trans aren't up to it.

 

You know, Toyota put diesel's in their pickups back in the 80's, but they didn't sell for shit so they dropped it and never looked back.

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