Scorpio Automatic launched

It was just waiting to happen,Mahindra plan to enter the US market soon and if they wanted to sell anything there then they cannot leave out automatic transmission.

Rather than risk trying out the new systems in the US market,Mahindra have taken the safer option of the Indian markets after all nobody is going to sue them here if anything goes wrong.

Mahindra are not looking for numbers and hence the automatic is the most expensive scoprio to be sold at about Rs.10.2 lakhs ex-showroom price in pune.The scoprio and Mahindra have come a long way and the tractor maker looks likely to be heading the Landroer way and focussing more on the premium segment than utility.

Mahindra dealers take the less riskier route

Its not a good time to be selling pick-ups and SUV's even if it is the US market we are talking of.However Mahindra are all set to enter the US markets by early next year[2009] with their scorpio pick-up[not sure about its official name yet] and the SUV.

Yes mahindra says its different in that it would be cheaper and more economical[diesel and even a diesel hybrid] than its competitors but looks like even Mahindra dealers in the US don't have complete faith that an Suv or a pick-up would do well now,given the high oil prices.

Most Mahindra dealers in the US are arranging to sell the mahindra vehicles alongside other vehicles[from other manufacturers] rather than build a new facility.Perhaps isuzu's exit also has influenced them to some extent.Ofcourse for this arrangement the dealers would have to shell out between $125,000 to $150,000 to Global vehicles USA[who are the official importers].

[source:motortrend.com]

Mahindra Scorpio now in Chile

After the Mahindra pick-up, the Scorpio suv is now on sale in the chilean markets.The response which the pick-ups have had in the chilean market was very positive and mahindra hope to cash in.

The Scorpio is to be sold in Chile in partnership with Fortaleza of the Automotores Gildemeister Group.In addition to representing Mahindra, Automotores Gildemeister also represents Hyundai and Ford in Chile.

Mahindra is all set to establish itself as a global player now with vehicles sold in africa,asia,south america,australia and very shortly in north america too.Mahindra's main trump card is its diesel engine and the relatively cheap prices compared to the competition.

One thing missing so far from Mahindra is a big ticket aquisition which would push it to the next league.Perhaps mahindra take the que form Toyota and establish their own premium marque.

[source:moneycontrol]

Coming soon the Mahindra Scorpio Hybrid

Mahindra have just unveiled their hybrid version of the scorpio at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress being held in Detroit.India being its home market,we are most likely to be the first market for the car after which it would be exported to other countries.

The hybrid system was co-developed by Mahindra with FEV.What makes the system unique is the relatively cheap price of the system and the fact that it is a diesel.

The Mahindra Scorpio hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) features the following characteristics:
• Diesel-electric parallel hybrid vehicle with four major functions:
• Start-stop
• Electric launch
• Torque augmentation
• Regenerative braking
• Seamless but enhanced driving experience
• 2.2 Liter, I-4, second generation diesel common rail engine with 85 kW and 270 Nm ratings
• 6-speed automatic transmission
• 30 kW (peak) motor with max torque of 270 Nm (peak) and a max speed 8500 rpm
• 288V, 8.4 Ah NiMH battery
• Quick cold start with e-motor assist

This system would change the way the world looks at diesel and nobody can use the "dirty" tag anymore infact the diesel hybrids may just mean the end of the road for the petrol hybrids.

[source:FEV]

The new Renault Logan SUV

Remember apart from selling the Logan in India Mahindra also have an agreement to sell a seven seater in India with renault.Till now it was thought that this would be the renault steppe MCV, but its price tag may be too steep and it could even be in Scorpio category which would be nothing but disaster.


Now worldcarfans have caught a test vehicle from Renault which they believe is the SUV version of the Renault Logan.The sedan clearly is a test mule for a much bigger vehicle.If priced right this could really have the potential to do much better than the Logan sedan even.Now don't know if this is the mass market small SUV that Mahindra has promised us within the next two years.Here's an artists impression of the new SUV.



Ofcourse another possibility is that we may just get a whole new Renault Logan a bigger one at that.

For the spy pictures please visit the link:
Here

[Source:Worldcarfans]

Mahindra looks at raising the bar with its next SUV

We keep hearing of Tata's acquisition plans daily in the media in order to establish itself as a serious global player.So after Jaguar and Landrover it is rumored that Tata could buy a stake[a very small stake] in Ferrari.This strategy certainly has worked in the fact that now globally everyone knows that when you say Tata it also means a car manufacturer.Everybody is seriously keeping track of Tata motors.Whether this would do good to Tata Motors in the long run is the Million dollar question.What does the Tata management have that Ford did not have while running Landrover and Jaguar is something only they know.Whether these acquisitions will help Tata take on the bigger rivals like Toyota and Honda who run far more profitable operations,looks doubtful.

But its domestic arch rival is following a different strategy[although lets say it was forced to adopt this strategy].Mahindra is looking at establishing products which are good enough to take own the biggies like Toyota and Honda.Mahindra is looking at becoming a serious player in the SUV and pick-ups business but the difference being it would be offering diesel and diesel-hybrid engines in order to tackle the rising oil price issue and also please the environmentalists.Its present Scorpio platform would be used as a stepping stone for the US markets but seriously even Mahindra knows that this platform is not competitive against the like of the Toyota's and the Honda's.So Mahindra is developing an all new platform with emphasis on the US markets. It will spend Rs 2,250 crore in the next two years to develop new vehicles to be rolled out by 2009 end.It will be used to fund development of new vehicles including the Ingenio, a premium sports utility vehicle (SUV), a pick-up and a mass market platform.

The premium SUV project will be based on a completely new platform targeted at the Rs 14-18 lakh price bracket.With this SUV Mahindra will move from the lower segments to the more profitable premium segment and take on the Honda CRV[The leader in this segment in India] headon in the Indian Markets.This SUV will also be sold in the international markets where it will take on other international players.

As far as the Mass market platform I remember Mahindra taking about a Utility vehicle for under Rs.4 lakhs.The emphasis is more on the utility aspect as far as this vehicle is concerned and it main role is to bring in the number as far as sales are concerned.This Platform may be used for manufacturing vehicles that can carry goods or passengers.If I remember Mahindra had earlier also said that this vehicle would probably be a 5 seater.This would be the Tata Nano equivalent of Utility Vehicles.

Wishing all the best to both Mahinda as well as Tata Motors in their attempt to become global players.

[Source:Business Standard]

Also read:
Mahindra-Our desi version of Land Rover

Would prospective car buyers opt for an SUV instead?

Last month it was the Honda city,this time its the Mahindra Scorpio which has achieved a phenomenal rise in sales.Sales are up by 48%.

Scorpio sales, including exports, grew by 48% in February ‘08, with sales of 3,909 units as against 2,637 units for the corresponding period last year.

So did prospective C segment car owners switch to the SUV segment cannot say that yet,the important word is exports,don't know how many units were exported.The budget has not brought down prices of either the SUV segment or the C segment cars,its the Hatchbacks which have benefited the most and it would not be surprising if the B+ segment of cars actually grows at the expense of the C-segment cars[Will take up this in a later post].The Scorpio would have to contend with the Sumo Grande from this month onwards so it would be interesting to see how sales are impacted and how big the SUV segment is actually.Its with the Sumo grande that we would know if C-segment car owners[prospective] would choose an SUV instead of a sedan.

One huge disadvantage is that in India a women driving an SUV is to put it politely not something that is acceptable.So thats an area where the SUV just cannot take the place of a family car atleast in the near future.

However we have traditionally accepted the big is better concept on the roads.Besides the anti-SUV environmentalist party is an absolute minority in India if it is actually present.

Apart from the Macho image and the utility factor what should help the SUV's is that two strong players Maruti and Honda don't have a diesel offering.Increasing parking woes and the traffic mess in our cities is something which would work against the SUV's.Although theoretically the Sumo grande is expected to be much easier to drive than some of the C-segment cars even.

But even after taking into consideration all these factors I don't feel the C-segment cars would be in danger because of the SUV"S simply because they would be appealing to two different segments of people.Its only the in the advertisements we would see the SUV being a replacement for a family car.

Tata Motors to Launch the Sumo Grande on 22nd February 2008

So its finally here,the sumo grande would be available at your nearest Tata motor dealer[if you are from the lucky few cities] from the 22nd February 2008.The sumo is an important launch for Tata as it has the potential to upset sales of its rival the Mahindra Scorpio and also take the sumo to the next stage from its now essentially a people carrier image.It also does have the potential to cannibalize sales of its stablemate the TATA safari.Whats is Mahindra's response would be interesting to see considering the huge price difference between the two,well hopefully mahindra are forced to cut prices of the Scorpio.

Update :
The Sumo Grande website is up and running heres the link,
Sumo Grande

Heres the TATA motors press release:

The new Sumo Grande combines the looks of an SUV with the comforts of a family car. It has been specifically designed to satisfy the needs of city customers in the areas of driveability, maneuverability and fuel efficiency. The Sumo Grande sports an all new styling with clean chiselled looks mating with flowing contours. The tall aggressive stance is complimented by large clear headlamps, and a cutaway air dam in the front. The clean rear look, with the spare wheel tucked under the body, is accentuated by attractive tail lights and a chrome overlay.

Designed with a longer wheelbase of 2550 mm (existing 2400 mm), the Sumo Grande sports comfortable 3 row seating with best in class third row seats. Beige interiors are complimented by fire and stain resistant fabric upholstery. Dual HVAC with roof integrated louvers ensures personalised climate adjustment for the occupants in each row. Power steering, power windows, motorised ORVMs, height adjustable driver’s seat and a state of the art CD/MP3 music system further add to the comforts and convenience of a family traveling in the Sumo Grande. The vehicle is powered by the new generation 2.2 L direct injection common rail (DICOR) engine, fitted with a variable geometry turbocharger creating a perfect blend of performance and fuel efficiency. Maximum power and torque of 120 PS and 250 Nm, coupled with high torque levels over a wide RPM band enhance driveability in stop start city traffic. For a vehicle its size, the Sumo Grande is extremely maneuverable with the turning circle radius of 5.25 m, similar to a small car.

The Sumo Grande will be available in 3 variants – Lx, Ex and Gx -- all of which have two seating configurations – 6+1 and 7+1. The vehicle will be available in 7 colours, including 4 new shades, Sunset Orange, Zephyr Green, Mineral Red and Marine Blue. The Sumo Grande range is priced in the range of Rs.6.55 lakhs to Rs.7.49 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). It comes with an enhanced warranty of 2 years or 75000 kms. (whichever is earlier). An additional 2 years’ warranty can be availed through the extended warranty option.

[Source:Tata Motors]

Mahindra to use diesel to power its American ambitions

Mahindra is going to make[Semi knocked down kits] and sell the Scorpio pickup in the US market by 2010.The vehicle will be sold with a diesel engine[2.2L mhawk] in the US markets ,presently the double cab version in India[minus the 2.2L mhawk engine,it has a 2.6L crde diesel engine but is less powerful than the mhawk] starts at $17650 in India.

The US version with the powerful engine in its regular/single cab avatar would retail with a base price of atleast $22,000 which would thus directly compete with the Toyota tundra pickup apart from the others.The advantage the Mahindra pickup has is the MPG and low fuel cost and this is what Mahindra representatives in the US are harping on as its main USP.There is no rival for Mahindra in this space anywhere in the near future is what Mahindra claim.

I'm really happy about this diesel," says Mr. Perez. "This is a market that nobody is going to be in for at least three of four years. We're going to be able to give small businesses a truck that can get 30 to 35 miles-per-gallon, and with a diesel engine that's durable. It's a $40,000 truck that we're going to sell in the mid-$20,000s. This is not Chinese junk."

And it will be able to haul too. Mahindra promises the truck will be able to carry a very sizeable 1.3-ton (2,600-lb) payload in its 7.5-foot cargo box. By comparison, the 2008 Toyota Tacoma has a max payload rating of 1,685-lbs and the 2008 Dodge Dakota has a max payload of 1,720-lbs.

The vehicle in the US would be sold with a 2.2L mhawk engine.The U.S. version of the mHawk will have power ratings in the range of 145-horsepower to 150-horsepower and approximately 300 pound-feet of torque, though the numbers haven't been finalized.

The American mHawk will be paired with a standard six-speed automatic transmission, a floor mounted console shifter, and steering wheel mounted paddles to manually shift the gearbox.

What is also important is that a diesel hybrid is also in the pipeline which is a first for the market.The added benefit for buyers is that the diesel hybrid too is not expected to be too heavy on the pocket either.

So does mahindra have a winner here,I certainly feel so.Most of the Manufacturers have not seriously thought about the advantages of diesel however it is not going to be an easy battle for Mahindra to win over market share in the US.

[Source:Pickuptruck.com]

Mahindra can we have a more spicier Bolero please

Mahindra is trying its best at attracting the younger generation towards its cheaper Bolero UV and as far as marketing campaigns go it is making all the right noises but what Mahindra seems to have forgotten is how is somebody supposed to show a take on anything,macho image with a puny 63bhp engine vehicle.

As far as the competition is concerned its main rival the Tata Sumo has raised the bar by more than a few notches with its new avatar[Grande] and a 2.2L 120 bhp common rail engine.The Bolero now feels like it is from the age of the Dinosaurs.

Mahindra already offer the Bolero engine as an option on the Scorpio[M2DI] now its time the Bolero gets the Scorpio engine as an optional choice.The Mahindra scorpio engine has actually a large fan club even.The Bolero with a Scorpio engine could be a very potent combination

There is no doubt that Mahindra is trying to go upmarket with the Scoprio and with each passing generation the prices are heading more towards the luxury buyers segment away from the mainstream buyer.There is a vacant space as far as the sub Rs.7 lakh SUV's are concerned in India.

A decent looking powerful SUV for under 7 lakhs would have more than its share of takers in India,are we asking a bit too much from Mahindra?

Toyota to launch new variants of The Innova

Now that the competition [Mahindra scorpio and the Tata safari] have raised the bar its time the innova gets a few added luxury features.The Mahindra scorpio for instance now comes with cruise control,rain sensing wipers ,automatic headlamps,tyre pressure monitoring systems,Reverse parking assist.

Toyota may also thinking along these lines for the newer variants but expect a rise in prices too.Since the innova is not that new a facelift cannot be ruled out completely but at this point looks unlikely and toyota may just come out with only newer variants of the Innova.Toyota could do well if it also gives an engine upgrade option too since the competition has somewhat left behind the innova with regards to this[even the Tata sumo is shortly going to be launched with a 120 bhp engine].

For those waiting for the fortuner a bit of hope is that once again toyota talk of launching new products on the innova platform for India.However it may not be here that soon.What we could see in the near future apart from the changes to the innova is the All new Corolla which is hitting ASEAN markets by march so we could get it here real soon.Also work on the new small car is going ahead at full steam and a lot more details could possibly come out when Toyota President, Mr Katsuaki Watanabe comes here by the end of january.

Edit:What I have learnt is that for 2008 ,Toyota is indeed thinking of a facelift for the Fortuner and the Hilux pickup in markets like South Africa , so the possibility of an Innova facelift cannot be ruled out completely.

Tata reveal all new Sumo and the Compact Indigo at the Auto Expo

Tata have revealed an all new sumo [based on the new tata xenon , pickup truck from tata].The new vehicle is a mix of an Muv and an Suv and looks definitely to be an improvement over its predecesor.Tata says there is a big difference in ride and handling,while the sumo would be powered by a 2.2L dicor engine[specs awaited].Will post the pics of the sumo as soon as I get my hands on it but for the moment can say it has a touch of the Mitsubishi Montero to it.The wheelbase of the Sumo grande has increased to 2550mm as compared to 2400mm of the Sumo victa.The sumo would be available for sale next month onwards and is expected to be priced between Rs. 6.55 lakhs and 7.5lakhs.The new Sumo is called the Sumo Grande.

Unconfirmed yet but according to media reports,its the same 2.2L VTT dicor engine as on the safari for the sumo as well[if that's the case who needs the safari,the sumo being relatively smaller than the safari may seem more powerful and may even be fun to drive].Toyota[innova] and Chevrolet[Tavera] really need to get in better engines,the competitors have all raised the bar.

Tata also revealed a compact version of the Indigo with minor changes which have made the car eligible for the 8% excise duty rebate.This means this version called the Indigo CS would be a cheaper option for consumers who are looking at a sedan but can't afford the present Indigo.The car will have a 1.2Lpetrol engine as well as a 1.4L diesel engine option.Further details awiated.

Image from worldcarfans

Press release from Tata Motors:

Indigo CS (Compact Sedan): The world’s first sub four-metre sedan, the Tata Indigo CS is positioned as the first car for young professionals. It carries forward the cabin seating comfort and space package, that is now closely associated with the Indigo range and a capacious 400 litre boot. Clever and efficient design has made it possible to encapsulate this entire package within the four metre length, making this car a complete package to address the combined demands of space and manoeuvrability in our congested cities. The Indigo CS sports a stylish new tail light cluster in the rear embedded in a smart new rear profile completed with a new, trimmer rear bumper. The front of the car has also been visually differentiated with a new front grille and new headlamps.

The new car is available in both petrol and diesel variants. The petrol variant is equipped with a multi-point fuel injection engine powered by a 32bit microprocessor and churns out a maximum power of 65PS @ 5200 rpm. The diesel variant comes with the turbo-charged intercooled engine that generates 70PS @ 4500 rpm. The petrol variants will have beige interiors, while the diesel variants will have black interiors. The Indigo CS will be available in two trim levels – a basic AC model & an AC, power steering model. It will be made available in an exciting new Scarlet Red colour, apart from the existing range of Indigo shades. Priced attractively, the car goes on sale mid-January 2008.
*********************************************************************************

Sumo Grande: The new Sumo Grande combines the looks of an SUV with the comforts of a family car. It has been specifically designed to satisfy the needs of city customers in the areas of driveability, manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency. The Sumo Grande sports an all new styling with clean chiselled looks mating with flowing contours. The tall aggressive stance is complimented by large clear headlamps, and a cutaway air dam in the front. The clean rear look, with the spare wheel tucked under the body, is accentuated by attractive tail lights and a chrome overlay.

Designed with a longer wheelbase of 2550 mm (existing 2400 mm), the Sumo Grande sports comfortable 3 row seating with best in class third row seats. Beige interiors are complimented by fire and stain resistant fabric upholstery. Dual HVAC with roof integrated louvers ensures personalised climate adjustment for the occupants in each row. Power steering, power windows, motorised ORVMs, height adjustable driver’s seat and a state of the art CD/MP3 music system further add to the comforts and convenience of a family traveling in the Sumo Grande. The vehicle is powered by the new generation 2.2 L direct injection common rail (DICOR) engine, fitted with a variable geometry turbocharger creating a perfect blend of performance and fuel efficiency. Maximum power and torque of 120 PS and 250 Nm, coupled with high torque levels over a wide RPM band enhance driveability in stop start city traffic. For a vehicle its size, the Sumo Grande is extremely manoeuvrable with the turning circle radius of 5.25 m, similar to a small car.

The Sumo Grande will be available in 3 variants – Lx, Ex and Gx -- all of which have two seating configurations – 6+1 and 7+1. The vehicle will be available in 7 colours, including 4 new shades, Sunset Orange, Zephyr Green, Mineral Red and Marine Blue. The Sumo Grande range is priced in the range of Rs.6.55 lakhs to Rs.7.49 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). It comes with an enhanced warranty of 2 years or 75000 kms. (whichever is earlier). An additional 2 years’ warranty can be availed through the extended warranty option. The vehicle will be available in showrooms across the country from the first week of February 2008.