Could be related to the next-gen Mahindra Thar.
Mahindra and Mahindra have not yet given up on their ambitious plan of establishing operations in the U.S. ET Auto reports that the Indian utility car manufacturer will start selling products in 2019 and the first product will be an off-roader developed by the company's Detroit R&D centre.
Off-roaders have a significant following in the U.S, fueled by the sales of established vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, Mercedes G-Class, and many other examples. It is not surprising that Mahindra's first product in the American market is an off-roader, as it will appeal to the said following and highlight Mahindra's core values.
Other than the confirmation of it being developed by Mahindra's Detroit R&D centre, there are very little details on the new off-roader. We reckon that it could have some relation to the next generation Mahindra Thar, given that Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra had confirmed that the company is working on a second-gen Thar. It's the best off-roader that Mahindra has in its portfolio, and as it's built around the ethos of a Jeep Wrangler, it could be an appealing option to the Wrangler's largest market.
Also Read: Mahindra S201 compact SUV spotted testing in Chennai
The report also states that Ssangyong is also mulling over launching its products in the USA within 18 months. The products in question could be the Ssangyong Tivoli crossover and the next generation Ssangyong Rexton SUV, both of which will come to India as the Mahindra S201 and reportedly the Mahindra XUV700.
[Source: ET Auto]
