Bad enough to buy a Manhindra?

http://www.mahindranc.com/4door.html

Now, taking deposits...... Think I'm going to sit on my wallet a bit longer. FWIW, Dutch.

Been following this for over a year and was considering it......but the trans went out of my 88 Chevy 4x4 this spring and I didn't want to put any more money into the truck, so I found a like new 2004 Toyota extra cab 4x4 Tacoma with 46k miles and brought it home......

What I REALLY wanted was my 2004 Tacoma with a turbo diesel under the hood!!

I read an article about GM working on a deal to market them a year or 2 ago. Having an established network of dealerships would have made it more palatable. If Mahindra has to establish their own dealer network, I see it taking a few years minimum before they have a decent support system.

The 4 door has a lot of overhang at the rear. Looks like the rear bumper would be dragging a lot. Even worse if you put a receiver on it. There's no manual trans option either.

I would like to have one of those little pickups! I would hook it up to the rearend of my 1-ton Superduty and use it as a spare tire so to speak. LOL

What I really, really, REALLY wanted was for Jeep to make the little diesel pickup (Gladiator: http://www.allpar.com/model/jeep/gladiator.html) they were teasing us about. Of course, it probably would have had that dog of an engine they saddled the Liberty with...

This one? I want an extended cab, and a stick. Need room for the dogs and a full bed. Perhaps it will light a fire under the other players. FWIW, Dutch.

I remember the gladiator. The 4 banger in the liberty put out 195 hp and 300 ft lb of torque; I think it would have been just fine with the 6 speed behind it. Something more easily brought to market would have been just to drop either the 4 cylinder diesel from the liberty or the 6 cylinder diesel from the grand cherokee into the dakota. I'd have settled for that.

Better yet would be if Toyota would import the hilux diesel.

If Toyota came out with a turbo diesel pickup I might have to stop by the Showroom. They make a great diesel motor but I guess diesels aren't as "GREEN" as hybrids

Bucktail, the problem of the Liberty engine wasn't the specs, it was that they couldn't keep it running... FWIW, Dutch.

I'm not doubting you, but all I ever heard was that it wouldn't pass new emissions regs.

Saw a road test of the Mahindra in an Aussie car magazine. Damn thing almost fell apart on them.......

Looks like a pile o' chit to me! I'd be embarrassed to be seen in one, let alone owning one!

I went to diesel mechanic school for a year while in high school, one of our projects was mounting a mechanical cummins in a 79 Chevy LUV 4x4!

it was a neat little truck when we got done, we put a nice flat bead on it and 33" tires,had the autobody class put a nice paint job on it. hell I'd own one! our instructor also taught the auto mechanics class, he had them installing a 318 mopar in an identical LUV!

I would be in that line for sure!

The rest of the world has loved them things for many years. Figure if there was some way Toyota could've gotten them accepted by the bureaucrats here, we'd have had them long ago?

As long as we buy what is made available, executive bonuses will continue to get priority over R&D for clean-burning small diesels.

Why can't we get the Hilux or the Landcruiser with a ute box like I see in Africa or Australia? Guess I I'll just keep my Turbodiesel Scout.

Was told that Toyota would import their small truck diesels if they were allowed to....

My neice and her family just got back from an extended working trip to romania. They had a v-8 deisel car there and loved it. Lots of deisels in Europe that will outperform ours, and better mileage too.
Wonder why this "green" administration won't let them in?

Its simple. The EPA has to justify it's existence, and the dear leader does NOT want our nation to be less dependent on his muzzie buddies. Thus, no drilling, nuclear power, new refineries, the strangling of the coal industry etc etc etc............

Ford puts a small diesel in a ranger and exports them.
Toyota diesels are standard in trucks outside of the USA.
VW makes diesel cars for the US market.
Europe Diesel motors are the standard over there.
Yet we are wasting money on these hybrids that double the cost of the vehicle and have no power.

I just do not get it?
If I could get a diesel in a tried and true small set up I'll buy one.

Damifinow fish

So would I.

It cost too much to get the engines to comply to emission standards. Combine that with the lower acceptance of diesel engines in this country it doesn't make money sence for a manufacturer to R&D a diesel whatever to bring to market for such a small market %. Until a larger market is seen by the manufacturer or demanded by the consumer they will still be niche markets that few dabble in.
As far as Toyota or Ford or whoever getting the buerocrats to accept them, they already have- as long as the engines meet emissions- which is why you do not see them here.
Heck, Chrysler has diesel motors in PT Cruisers, Calibers, Grand Caravans, Town & Country Vans, Liberty, Grand Cherokee, and possibly more that I cannot remmeber. The only one that makes it too this market is the Grand Cherokee and that is all due to emission regulations.
Dodge and GM scrapped the 1/2 ton diesels for now due to lower profitability that R&D would produce- especially being under the microscope after the BK, it wasn't a smart direction to move in. Chrysler and GM spending millions on R&D for a very very small market segment would be all over the headlines. Could you see the headlines for them? "Gm & Chrysler spending millions of taxpayer dollars on new diesle truck while Toyota and Honda produce gas mizers". I don't think I would want to be under fire for that and can't blame them.

Hemi

GM Ford and Dodge blocked Toyota from bringing a diesel to N. America years ago.Doubt we'll ever see one for sale for our markets.

They also export one that is a true 4 door crew cab. Pizzes me off they wont sell them here.

Have never heard that before. Do you have any links or information? Not busting your balls, really would like to see where you got that info.

Hemi

http://www.dieselenginemotor.com/diesel_engine_history.html

It is an interesting read, old Rudolph wanted to design an engine that could be fueled by biomass and had better fuel economy and efficiency than the steam engine. Sound familiar?

Still hear that in the next few years Ford and Dodge were coming out with a Diesel half ton. Ford probably. Dodge since Fiat owns them and they are supposed to become the "Ram" brand who knows what Dodge will do. Had they came out with a Diesel half ton for the 2010 like they said I might have gotten one instead of my 3/4 ton.

I think its viable and probably a great idea for alot of vehicles.

You want a vehicle with great mileage and that scoots along fast try a Diesel Volkwagen Jetta. Last I looked at one it was rated at 44 mpg on the highway.

Get me a compact pickup with that jetta engine, and I'm starting to write the check..... JMO, Dutch.

No one really makes a compact pickup anymore. They're all midsized.

The best combo I have found so far is my diesel jetta and a f150 supercrew. A friend just got 56mpg with his diesel Jetta on the highway the other day, I average about 41mpg with mine in summer.

I'd settle for the Toyota Hilux diesel.

That Mahindra thing has too much overhang at the rear to be a good off road truck.

The Afghan Border patrol and the Police use the Ford Ranger 4X4 crew cab. It looks mo better than the Hilux toyo, sports a diesel and from what I'm told it's about as indestructable a truck as there is.
Would REALLY like to have one.