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Maybe this will kickstart the big automakers

Something for Toyota, Nissan, GM and Ford to think about.

https://www.pickuptrucks.com/html/new...idandmore.html

Interesting, but there's a few issues...

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The "Appalachian" will have a U.S. exclusive interior that's been designed to American tastes (and sizes)

That's a good thing, for sure. They're actually thinking about customers where they plan to sell.

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Mr. Perez says the truck's size is close to that of the current Toyota Tacoma, instead of being a 'true compact' pickup.

Last I knew, the Tacoma is the smallest pickup available in the US, unless you count SUVs with beds (Ridgeline, Explorer SportTrac, etc). I can't imagine what they consider a "true compact" pickup. This might be a bit small.

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Mr. Perez has previously stated the diesel-only pickup would start at $22,000.

Fail. People won't buy a very small truck with a small-displacement diesel (especially from a manufacturer new to the market), and they especially won't buy it when it looks like that.

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"I'm really happy about this diesel," says Mr. Perez. "This is a market that nobody is going to be in for at least three of four years. We're going to be able to give small businesses a truck that can get 30 to 35 miles-per-gallon, and with a diesel engine that's durable. It's a $40,000 truck that we're going to sell in the mid-$20,000s. This is not Chinese junk."

And it will be able to haul too. Mahindra promises the truck will be able to carry a very sizeable 1.3-ton (2,600-lb) payload in its 7.5-foot cargo box.

Now I begin to see a possible success vector. It would be in a market similar to the Sprinter, except for the branding problem. They really should make the bed 8x4 so it can pass the standard plywood test; it's not really that necessary, but it would be GREAT for marketing. The load capacity beats compact, "mid-size", and most (all?) 150/1500-series full size pickups, though I suspect they're just including less margin, as many trucks can carry that load but liability-fearing manufacturers de-rate their trucks...

I wonder how it is for towing.

Valid points, but think of what the general consensus of Hyundai was 10 years ago and what people think of them now. If GM made a diesel version of the Colorado/Canyon I'd be first in lline to buy one. You also hear a lot of tin foil hat talk here about Big Oil and the conspiracy against small diesels but this is the third diesel in a smaller vehicle that I have heard is coming to the US in 2009.

Yeah, if they have the determination and staying power that Hyundai has then they ought to succeed too.

I'm also not a member of the tin foil hat crowd. :) Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity...

Remember the Izuzu Pup, Chevy Luv, Mitsubishi, Toyota HiLux and Datsun diesels back in the late 70's and early 80's. They sold like hotcakes and people ran them into the ground. I remember many of my relatives who had a few from the list I just mentioned and they got high 30's to high 40's.

Unfortunately just like anything else, Diesel is only good until everyone else does it. With the price differential, we're closing in on not being a good deal anymore and the only other reason to have a diesel is towing, which I don't believe this little truck will have much capacity for.

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Originally Posted by Wazabi Owner (Post 103388)

They are still being run into the ground. Ugly used, rusted trucks like these are bringing $2000 on fleabay. When that's not good enough, JDM engines are being swapped into US trucks. As long as the build quality is nice, they will sell.

I'd check one out for my daily driver and delivery truck.

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Originally Posted by Wazabi Owner (Post 103388)

And I junked my Chevy Luv just a couple years ago!

I've still got my '87 S10 4 banger ex-farm-truck. 26 mpg in town, 28 highway without overdrive. gets 25 mpg doing 70 mph loaded past capacity

Mahindra tractors are advertised here (in the Appalachians!) as being a great value (5 years at $129 a month), great reliability (3 year warranty). Anyone else see the problem with paying for 5 years on a tractor with a 3 year warranty?

The snow plow option would be great, as most trucks in the US say "no snow plow" right in the manual.