The Auto Writer

Modifications to the hood, grille and back of Mahindra's pickup truck line will significantly alter the look of the first Indian truck to be sold in the US. The above picture is NOT a representation of what the truck will ultimately look like.

Mahindra & Mahindra, which is an Indian manufacturer of passenger vehicles particularly SUVs and pickup trucks, was to have begun selling its compact pickup truck line to American consumers this year. Delays pushed its introduction back from the spring to October, but the latest word is that the first Mahindra TR20 and Mahindra TR40 models will not be sold until February 2010 at the earliest.

Global Vehicles, Exclusive Distributor

Global Vehicles USA, Inc. (GV) is the exclusive distributor for Mahindra passenger vehicles in the US. Mahindra has been selling farm tractors in the US since 1994 directly, but has outsourced vehicle distribution to GV. Smart cars are also sold by a distributor, the Penske Group, which has a purchase agreement for GM’s Saturn brand.

Automotive News [subscription required], which reported this news on Monday, contacted GV who explained that product tweaking is the reason for the additional delay, changes which will give the truck a new grille, redesigned hood, and a new rear end. This move follows more than 200 changes made when the product was first delayed.

GV insists that modifications to the pickup truck are beneficial and that the company is trying to avoid holding itself to an arbitrary schedule. In other words, Mahindra wants to see that it launches it product right from the very start.

Nationwide Dealer Network In Place

Global Vehicles has been amassing a nationwide network of retailers to sell the Mahindra line which will consist of two- and four-door versions of the same pickup truck, reportedly dubbed the TR20 and TR40 respectively. Featuring a diesel powerplant paired to a six-speed automatic transmission, the Mahindra trucks are expected to retail in the low 20s for the two door model and mid 20s for the four door model, thousands of dollars less than the competition.

While Mahindra & Mahindra looks to easily win the race to become the first Indian automaker selling its cars in the US market, Tata Motors has plans to bring its ultra-cheap Nano subcompact to America too. Those arrangements aren’t final, but Tata Motors CEO, Ratan Tata, would like for that to happen no later than early 2011.

See Also — Mahindra Trucks Followed By SUV?