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07 July, 2011 In an attempt to bring in passengers who work in the infrastructure and construction space where they are required to travel with their team and machinery, auto firm Mahindra and Mahindra rolled out the two cabin pick up called ‘Genio’ on Wednesday.
The earlier version of the commercial vehicle was a single cabin pick up which could accommodate the drive, a co-passenger and their cargo. The latest would have two passenger rows and a cargo space. “ double cabin pick up are hugely popular in Thailand and Europe and judging by the growth in the retail and infrastructure industry here, we know this will be a ready market in India," Vivek Nayer, Senior VP, Marketing for their automotive division said.
The other pick up on similar lines is Bolero double cabin but the company is sure that there would be cannibalization. This despite there is only a difference of Rs 38,000 between the Genio and the Bolero double cabin pick up. The base variant of the new car is at priced at Rs 5.46 lakh while the higher variant which comes with more fittings is at Rs 5.95 lakh. “ Although this will be an international class product compared to the Bolero there will be takers for both varieties,” Nair said.
The company’s expansion in the pick up segment could also be to maintain the 75 percent market share they have in a segment that industry watchers say is being eyed by General Motors and Volkswagen. Around 75,000 units are sold in this segment annually in India.
Produced in the firm’s Chakan plant which has seen an investment of Rs 225 crore for the product development and production of single and double cabin Genio. The company which posted a 51 percent year on year growth in exports this June, will fit in a more powerful engine for the units that will be exported.

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Wednesday, July 06, 2011, AutomotiveWorld.com

General Motors’ head of US sales, Don Johnson, has reportedly stated that the company will start ...

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Mahindra and Mahindra launched the Maxx Pik-Up Chassis in 2003. It is available in the base variant. It is the twin of the Maxx Pik-Up, except that it comes without a cargo box. It is available in 2 choices: 2WD BS2 and 2WD BS3. The Pik-Up is a multi-purpose vehicle that can mainly be used to transport small packages or multiple passengers.

The Maxx Pik-Up Chassis is equipped with a new generation chassis and suspension that allows transporting of small containers easy and economical. It has an overall fuel efficiency of 16.5 km/litre, which is one of the best fuel efficiency ratings in the country for a pick-up vehicle. The Maxx Pik-Up is already a leader in its category. Marketed throughout the country, it is available in three different colours.

Its only competitor in this segment is the Hindustan Motors Pick-Up.

The Maxx Pik-Up Chassis is powered by a 2.5L Inline 4-cylinder MDI 3200TC turbo diesel engine that delivers 63 bhp of power @ 3200 rpm and a maximum torque of 180 Nm @ 1500 rpm. The engine is teamed with a synchromesh 4-speed manual transmission. A re-circulating ball type with "U" joint steering provides a maximum turning radius of 6.35 metres, which allows the vehicle to be maneuvered in tight and narrow lanes with ease.

The high fuel efficiency is the highlight of the vehicle. It delivers 15 km/l in the city and 18 km/l on the highway and comes with a 57-litre tank capacity that allows the vehicle to travel long distances without the assistance of a gas station.

The technologically innovative suspension and chassis coupled with front axles for the 2WD make transportation on irregular terrain smooth and effortless, while providing agility to the vehicle.

The vehicle appears muscular with its strong steel build. The front fascia is divided into two integral parts. The lower half of the fascia constitutes of the front bumper that protrudes from between the front tyres to give the vehicle a strong stance. The upper part of the fascia hosts the grille with two headlamps and reflectors on either side, while the turn lamps are placed at the front of the wheel flares. The vehicle rides on 15-inch wheels with radial tyres. The heavy duty wheel rims and heavy duty rear axle absorb most of the cargo weight.

The instrumentation within the vehicle comprises of an easy-to-read odometer and warning indicators for fuel and battery levels. Various strategically placed buttons assist the user to operate the direction of focus of the front and rear lights. The large side view mirrors provide clear visibility of vehicles approaching from behind.

High-positioned bucket-styled seats with black covers provide maximum driving comfort to the driver and clear visibility of the road ahead. Hydraulic front disc and rear drum, tandem master cylinder with vacuum assisted Servo brakes allow the driver to stop easily and fast during emergency situations. Driver and front passenger seats come with seat belts for safety.

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11 / 14 km/l (city/highway), 2.5L I-4 Diesel
2.5L 4-cylinder MDI 3200TC, 63 bhp, Diesel
4-speed Manual Transmission (MT) * Estimated values may differ under various conditions.

Three side opening cargo box. Available in both 2WD and 4WD drivelines. Flat bed variant. Well performing engine. Upto 1.5 tonne load capacity. Fuel economy.

Indigenously designed and engineered by Mahindra, the Maxx Pik-up was launched in 2003. The highlight of this pick-up truck is the single wall cargo box with detachable doors on three-sides for easy loading and unloading purposes. The cargo box offers a large storage capacity and the 'flat bed' option offers better stability with heavy loads.

The Pik-up vehicle is targeted at distributors and is useful for small cargo movement in the countryside and on narrow city roads. It received a favorable response in the Indian market due to merits such as cabin space, fuel economy, ride comfort and 'value for money' pricing.

The Maxx Pik-Up competes with Tata's 207 DI Pick-up.

The Maxx Pik-up is available in four variants - 2WD BS2, 2WD Flat Bed BS2, 2WD Flat Bed BS3 and 2WD BS3.

All variants are powered by a 2.5-litre inline-4 MDI 3200TC turbo diesel engine that churns out 63 bhp@3200 rpm and a maximum torque of 177 Nm@1500 rpm. The engine is paired with a 4-speed manual transmission.

The steering wheel is attached to a re-circulating ball type steering system with "U" joint. It offers precise handling and a quick response to the driver's action. The pick-up has a small turning radius of 6.35 m which makes negotiating chaotic roads easy. The kerb weight is 1660 kgs and the maximum gross vehicle weight of 2820 kgs facilitates heavy loading. The Maxx Pik-up has a maximum load carrying capacity of 1.5 tonnes which is more than any other vehicle in its category.

The Mahindra Maxx Pik-Up is a preferred vehicle in its segment for its high fuel economy. It can achieve 15 km/l in the city and 18 km/l on the highway. With a good fuel tank capacity of 57 litres, frequent re-fuelling over long distance rides is not required and helps the driver make more trips in a day than any other vehicle in its category.

The suspension is fined tuned to offer good stability and to cause minimum discomfort while carrying heavy loads. The heavy duty rigid leaf spring suspension is designed to manage heavy cargo loads. Hydraulic double acting telescopic shock absorbers perform well on rough roads. The vehicle comes with a high ground clearance and a long wheelbase to facilitate stability.

The styling has a retro-feel to it. The front fascia sports traditional round headlamps, a large air dam with square grille mesh, and the bumpers are detached from the main body of the vehicle. The pick-up comes with 15-inch steel wheels with heavy duty rims.

The interior too reflects the retro look. Simple dug-in instrument gauges, buttons to operate lights and turning indicators form the instrumentation. The steering wheel comes with an embossed Mahindra logo. The gear shift lever also looks very traditional. The manual door lock and window controls on the door are smooth to operate.

The seating cabin gets only a single row bench seat that can seat upto three persons (including the driver). The seats are wrapped with black vinyl covers. High positioned seats offer a good view of the road ahead. The large windscreen too offers clear visibility making it easy to manoeuvre the vehicle through traffic congested roads.

The cargo box is large enough to carry cargo weighing over a tonne. The box has one side wall and is three-side detachable. This makes loading and unloading cargo very easy.

Safety features on the Maxx Pik-Up include vacuum assisted brakes and disc and caliper brakes for the front wheels and drum brakes at the rear.

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Mahindra is on the verge of putting the Xylo derived pickup trucks on sale. The Xylo pickup will be sold in single and dual cab configurations.

Indian Autos Blog has brought you three other sets of spy shots of the Xylo pickups in 2010. Caught testing in the congested Porur junction in Chennai, this looks like a display vehicle heading to a dealer stockyard.

Due to the chaotic nature of the traffic, it was not possible to sneak closer and get a clear shot. To get a better idea of the interior, you can look at the On Test Xylo Pickup’s interior spyshot post.

The Xylo pickup should coexist with the Bolero pickup trucks. The fit and finish is a testimony to its commercial nature. Unlike SRK’s rendering of the Xylo pickup almost two years ago, this will not be positioned as a lifestyle product.

Shoeb R Kalania's sketch of the pickup from April 2009

We have no reason but to believe Mahindra will use the 90bhp 2.5-liter mDI CRDe engine from the D2 Xylo variant on the pickups and marry them to the 5-speed manual transmission. Whether demand for pickup trucks is picking up or not, there will be plenty of takers for the product away from India.

Tagged as: Mahindra Xylo pickup, Xylo pickup

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