VH_Supra26
08-26-2008, 10:29 AM
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A recent report from J.D. Power & Associates indicates Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) consumer-level products may not be ready for prime time in the world’s largest car market. Anand Mahindra, the company’s vice chairman and managing director, has told its U.S. distributor that it will delay the launch of its trucks for six months as it re-evaluates the product for American use.
Still scheduled to hit the streets in 2009, M&M’s trucks will not arrive until the fourth quarter instead of the late first or early second quarters as previously planned. M&M’s U.S. distributor, Georgia-based Global Vehicles USA, Inc., is still eager to begin sales of the truck, but t he company’s concerns with quality are overriding. To test the performance of its vehicles further, the maker plans to drive 3.2 milion vehicle miles via its 25-truck fleet, reports Automotive News.
A recent J.D. Power survey, commissioned by M&M itself, found several key areas of improvement that would be necessary to ensure a successful launch for the brand in the U.S. Improved seats, headliners cupholders and interior design are just a few of the 196 elements outlined in the resulting report. Anand Mahindra is reported to have told John Perez, CEO of Global Vehicles, “My family’s name is going onto this vehicle, and it’s not going to fail.”
A diesel-powered version of the company’s truck will arrive in 2010, prepared to meet the EPA’s new 50-state emissions certification, though it has not yet been approved. Certification for the diesel will begin in January.
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/industry/mahindra-delaying-us-launch-to-work-on-quality-issues/
A recent report from J.D. Power & Associates indicates Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) consumer-level products may not be ready for prime time in the world’s largest car market. Anand Mahindra, the company’s vice chairman and managing director, has told its U.S. distributor that it will delay the launch of its trucks for six months as it re-evaluates the product for American use.
Still scheduled to hit the streets in 2009, M&M’s trucks will not arrive until the fourth quarter instead of the late first or early second quarters as previously planned. M&M’s U.S. distributor, Georgia-based Global Vehicles USA, Inc., is still eager to begin sales of the truck, but t he company’s concerns with quality are overriding. To test the performance of its vehicles further, the maker plans to drive 3.2 milion vehicle miles via its 25-truck fleet, reports Automotive News.
A recent J.D. Power survey, commissioned by M&M itself, found several key areas of improvement that would be necessary to ensure a successful launch for the brand in the U.S. Improved seats, headliners cupholders and interior design are just a few of the 196 elements outlined in the resulting report. Anand Mahindra is reported to have told John Perez, CEO of Global Vehicles, “My family’s name is going onto this vehicle, and it’s not going to fail.”
A diesel-powered version of the company’s truck will arrive in 2010, prepared to meet the EPA’s new 50-state emissions certification, though it has not yet been approved. Certification for the diesel will begin in January.
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/industry/mahindra-delaying-us-launch-to-work-on-quality-issues/