We have seen Tata's here for a while, but now Mahindra are making a 4x4 pickup called the Pik-up.

Do you reckon they could be a (long-term) threat to Ford/GM/Toyota?

http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0...-38455,00.html

 

NOPE, Or at least not that model, It'll never pass our federal saftey standards or emissions. Stupid goverment That's why we cannot buy those cool 4x4 diesel utes that you aussies can buy.

 

I thing Ford & GM are threats to themselves. If Ford doesn't get it together they will nolong be in business. As I posted here last night NBC said Ford was having to put up all it's assets to borrow $18 billion. First that is unheard of. Never has any of the big three ever had such a bad credit rating or stock ratings, that they were required to put up collateral to borrow money. I'm in my 50s and this is a BIG DEAL in my lifetime.
One thing I can say is Mahindra builds a very good tractor. I have a close friend that is a dealer for Mahindra. They have money, lots of it. We in America are sitting ducks if these asian companies want to enter into a market. Remember China holds billions of our debt. I think we are going to see things in the future that we never thought we would see. I still think that Ford & Gm will be bought out by someone at some point. Like an Asian Company or Companies.

 

India and China are threats to every manufacturer out there. Cheap labor and very few regulations concerning workers or the environment make them a threat. In addition these 2 nations have the pontential to be larger consumers than the US. Not a threat today but look at what people said about the Japanesse in the 60's and 70's.

 

Maybe the US should start a massive reproduction campaign to combat the asian threat?

 

No offence but you can't possibly have any good reason to think it wouldn't pass saftey standards. Untill it's tosses into another car, a pole, a wall and hit it with a cart nobody has anyway to say either way. Also I'm not sure how Australia's crash standards are but if they're anything like euro's then they'd have higher crash requirements then us. Our's are a joke compaired to the other side of the world. Our crash standards are at a minimum that allow sub-standard cars to get high scores.

The emissions........... yeah we are damn tough on that.

 

It looks like an overgrown yamaha rhino, polaris ranger, or kawasaki mule.

 

I expect it'll be one of the big brands that starts importing cars or trucks from China. It's not like they haven't done that kind of thing already with Japanese and Korean-made vehicles.

 

I hope they dont get to be a competitor, I think they are ugly. I think ford, gm, and dodge all need to get their acts together and get the quality of their products up some more, while keeping costs down, otherwise those asian companies will take it over, whether we like it or not.

 

I don't know about a threat per se, but Americans appear to be taking a liking (myself included) to the 'utilitarian' looks of some of the newer styles available, i.e: the H2/H3, the Land Rover series, the new 'chopped' Grand Cherokee, the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and Commander.