Initially, speculations about the Mahindra trucks referred to them in a variety of names including the Appalachian and Pik-Up. The Appalachian, after the vast mountain range in the eastern US and Pik-Up, from what they’re called in Australia. However, this was quickly put to rest as Mahindra apparently decided to go on another direction and dropped the Appalachian name for an alphanumeric code for both their two-door and four-door trucks. PickupTrucks.com reported that the Indian auto manufacturer filed claims on the names TR20 and TR40 at the US Patent and Trademark Office.
More than the trucks, the Mahindra SUV, known all over the world as the Scorpio may also be getting a name makeover as another automaker, Ford owns the rights to the name in the US. The Mahindra Scorpio has won prestigious awards such as Car of the Year by Business Standard Motoring, Best SUV of the Year and Best Car of the Year by BBC World Wheels. Would the Scorpio have the same fate and be reduced to another alphanumeric code like the trucks?
It could very well be. Reports say the reason Mahindra ditched the Appalachian model name is because they wanted to build brand recognition in a market where they are not very well known. Mahindra will be entering the US auto market for the first time and to highlight their name, they decided to use nondescript codes for their trucks.
Mahindra may not be widely accepted in the US today, but if the delays and additional testing are any indication, they are very serious about making a name for themselves here.