Automotive
News is reporting that Global Vehicles U.S.A., Inc. is delaying
the U.S. launch of the imported Mahindra diesel mid-size pickup by
six months, to late 2009.
John Perez,
CEO of Global Vehicles, says that the CEO of Mahindra & Mahindra
Ltd., Anand Mahindra, won't approve a sales start until after
25 test trucks have racked up 3.2 million miles on U.S. roads.
The on-sale delay is the latest of several changes to Global Vehicles'
pickup plans. The truck was originally going to be called the Appalachian,
but will receive an alphanumeric name instead. Plans to introduce a
diesel hybrid version have also been postponed indefinitely.
Mahindra's
truck will be powered by the company's new mHawk 2.2-liter inline-four-cylinder
diesel engine. The mHawk was designed in cooperation with diesel engineering
firms Bosch and AVL with the American pickup market in mind. Power
ratings are expected to be in the range of 145-150 horsepower and approximately
300 pounds-feet of torque.
The engine
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.
Global Vehicles
promises the truck will be able to carry a sizeable 1.3-ton (2,600-pound)
payload in its 7.5-foot cargo box. It will come with a 60,000-mile,
four-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Perez also
says the Mahindra truck will achieve more than 30 mpg.
Mahindra
has spent almost $80 million getting the pickup and SUVs ready to meet
U.S. federal vehicle regulations, like diesel emission and crash-test
standards.
