We’ve said it before. People are open to the idea of having a basic truck with only the essentials and not the bloated trucks that other manufacturers offer. The only thing people are curious about is how they will rack up against the other smaller trucks available in the United States today. They wonder if they are indeed dependable and tough enough for basic towing and hauling.

The key features of the Mahindra four-door truck are as follows: 2.2L clean-burning, fuel efficient four-cylinder Common Rail diesel engine, best in class payload of up to 2,633 lbs, hauls 1.32 tons, six-speed automatic transmission, electronic stability control and AM/FM/CD/USB audio system with MP3 playback, SD card slot and iPod adapter. It seats five people and is equipped with 4-wheel ABS brakes and has a (Edit: 58.6-inch) bed length.

On the other hand, Mahindra’s two-door offers the same 2.2L 4-cylinder Common Rail Diesel with 2,765-lb payload, hauls 1.38 tons, six-speed transmission, AM/FM/CD/USB audio system with MP3 playback, SD card slot and iPod adapter and an extra long bed measuring 7.5 feet long. It seats two people and also comes with electronic stability control for better handling and 4-wheel ABS brakes.

Mahindra promises to deliver 30 miles per gallon in the highway and comes with a 4-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper guarantee unlike the usual 10-year, 100,000 mile guarantee offered by other manufacturers. In addition, these Common Rail engines are much cleaner than what their competitor brands are equipped with. They emit 97% fewer Sulfur than older diesel engines with almost no soot particulates. They also produce 30% less greenhouse gases per mile than gas engines with the durability and extra torque diesel engines come with. All these, while experiencing a 20 to 40% increase in fuel efficiency.

On paper, the Mahindra trucks are shaping up pretty competitively against the other mid-size trucks and SUVs available in the US market. We’re very curious to see how well they will actually do when they are driven. February is just a few months away anyway.

Mahindra is working on building a network of about 300 dealerships across North America. They’re taking advantage of Chrysler dealers that recently closed shop and negotiating with some Ford dealerships as well. If you want to know how you can get your hands on the Mahindra TR20 and TR40 when it goes on sale starting February, here’s a list of a few known dealers all over the US.

Acton Lincoln Mercury 196 Great Road (Route 2A), Acton, MA 01720
Allan Vigil Ford 6790 Mt. Zion Boulevard, Morrow, GA 30260
DFW Mahindra 2925 E. Division Street, Arlington, TX 76011
Paradise Mahindra Lansing, MI
Safeway Chevrolet 1320 Highway 117 South, Burgaw, NC 28425
Smith Motor Company of Hattiesburg 6793 Highway 98 West, Hattiesburg, MS 39402-8444
Taylor Automotive Group 6100 W. Central Avenue, Toledo, OH 43615

February is still a long time from now, but these dealers have already been working overtime to market the Mahindra trucks. Stand by for more updates or additional car dealers that pop up so that you can get one in your area.

Mahindra is nearing its launch on February next year and talks about their brand and products are all over cyberspace. While it’s being durability tested in Wisconsin, we’ve listed down some key points in some of the internet chatter concerning the Mahindra brand and their TR20 and TR40.

Going through what the people are saying, there truly is a clamor for compact trucks, which most car manufacturers have been neglecting. Right now, only the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins are available today that match up to the Mahindra pickups. Some people claim that for a nation that’s been branded the best at making trucks, the American auto manufacturers sure are ignoring a huge segment of truck buyers looking for a utility vehicle that’s more practical than the oversized pickups dominating the market at the moment. The fact is, not everyone who buys trucks is a contractor. A lot of people just prefer the towing capability and utility that sedans and SUVs do not offer and a small pickup like this one will allow them to maneuver and park easier, not to mention get better gas mileage.

Some are in the middle about them having diesel engines. Compared to the $3.69/gallon gasoline, diesel has consistently sold for more than gas and priced at $4.15/gallon on average all over the United States. Although some are concerned about the price of diesel, others prefer the additional torque that diesel engines offer.

Furthermore, a lot of people have voiced out their concerns about Mahindra. Many people are concerned about the TR20 and TR40′s design. People have described it as looking retro or dated and prefer a sleeker design than something that looks like it was built in the 90’s. People also think that the Mahindra trucks are overpriced starting at $22,000 compared to the reliable and trusted Ford Ranger which costs just a little over $16,000. Because Mahindra is not widely recognized and are very new to the US auto market, people are also unsure about whether or not they provide a good After Sales support for their products, which may become a huge issue later on.

Mahindra looks like they are exactly on point about selling compact trucks and offering an alternative to the US market. However, there seems to be a lot of things that they still need to work out before their launch, which is just a few months away.

Mahindra & Mahindra is now looking to acquire a manufacturing plant in the United States to produce the TR20, the TR40, the Scorpio and future models. Because of the excessive Chicken Tax, which imposes a 25% tax on imported trucks, Mahindra wants to “explore various options” to find the most economically-feasible option for them.

Mahindra vehicles are currently sold in 22 countries worldwide, but the Indian automaker is targeting the US as its largest export market in the next few years. Mahindra is offering a more fuel efficient and competitively priced option to the US market. The TR20 and the TR40 will retail for $22,000 and $25,000 respectively.

Mahindra is yet to announce which facilities or areas they are considering, but people have been speculating about the possibility of reviving the Nummi plant in Fremont, California, which Toyota has given up on. However, it might be a long shot since it’s very far from their headquarters in Georgia. They might also look into former GM and Chrysler dealers which closed down recently.

According to Larry Daniel, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Global Vehicles USA, Inc., US distributor of Mahindra, the new sales launch date of the Mahindra trucks in North America will now be on February 2010. Mahindra & Mahindra’s US debut has been moved twice. Global Vehicles originally announced the trucks launch to be in spring 2009, then moved to fall 2009 after US vehicle consultants and retailers recommended nearly 200 product changes to their trucks. Now, they’re expecting to sell the vehicles starting February next year.

Even though the changes being made to the trucks have been running ahead of schedule, the Indian automaker decided to delay the US launch to make sure that both the TR20 and TR40 trucks will be able to comply with strict quality and safety standards and ready for the discerning customers in the US. Included in these modifications are a redesigned hood and rear end, a new grille and a new front bumper guard.

The Mahindra trucks will be equipped with a 2.2 four-cylinder diesel engine and made available in both standard and crew cabs.

If you’re here it’s because like us you are a big fan of Mahindra vehicles. You want all the news and all the gossip about what projects they are working on and you like to talk to like minded people about your passion. With this in mind we thought we’d tell you a little bit more about the company you know and love.

Mahindra, which is actually called Mahindra & Mahindra was initially set up as a steel trading company in 1945. At that time it was called Mahindra & Mohammed, as it was owned by two brothers K.C. Mahindra and J.C. Mahindra but also Malik Ghulam Mohammed. The company name changed when India gained independence and Pakistan was formed and Mohammed moved there. He actually became the nations first finance minister. And so Mahindra & Mahindra Limited was formed, it’s quite a catchy name don’t you think? It’s good having a name people will remember, it’s like RAC which always sticks in people’s minds.

It wasn’t long until the company began making general-purpose utility vehicles. There first one was the Jeep which made them widely known throughout India. From there they started making light commercial vehicles and agricultural tractors. In India M & M are still the leader when it comes to the utility vehicle.

It’s not just in India where it is popular though as we are all aware of. They have a growing global market presence in automotive and tractor businesses. Here in the USA they have three assembly plants and they are also sold in six other continents, with plants in China and the UK as well as here.

The company is continually growing. Over the years announcements have been made regarding where they are going next and what vehicles they are bringing out We will keep you up to date with all the news, so we can all share the interesting history and look forward to an exciting future together.