Back in the early 2000s, models from Mahindra were available in the Malaysian market. Nevertheless, it didn’t gain as much popularity compared to larger automotive giants like Toyota and Nissan at that time. In case you weren’t aware, the brand was actually distributed by USF-Hicom (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. However, this partnership came to an end and Mahindra all but dwindled away from the local market.
During its yearly Independence Day celebration, which took place this year in South Africa, Mahindra introduced a new concept in the form of a pickup truck called the Global Pik Up, based on the Scorpio N platform. The term “Pik Up” is the name Mahindra presently employs for its pickup truck model derived from the Scorpio Classic, marketed across various global regions.
According to Mahindra, the upcoming pickup will be equipped with a second-generation, all-aluminium mHawk diesel engine, coupled with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic transmission sourced from Aisin.
As a part of its worldwide strategy, Mahindra is actively considering the potential of launching the newly revealed Global Pik Up concept in regions, including the ASEAN area. Does this mean there is a chance that Mahindra would return to the Malaysian market with this pick-up truck? There could be a chance considering that Thailand and Malaysia are among the most popular pick-up truck markets in the ASEAN market.
Veejay Nakra, the President of the Automotive Division at Mahindra, emphasized that electric vehicles (EVs) constitute a central element of their global expansion plan. However, the current focus lies in developing a launch strategy for the pickup trucks. Nakra explained that the team is diligently assessing the potential of each market, which will play a significant role in shaping Mahindra’s broader strategy for global expansion.
Would the pickup truck do well here? Considering the number of players that are already dominating the pickup truck market in Malaysia, Mahindra would really need to bring something different to the table. However, Mahindra further disclosed that the Global Pik Up will be enriched with an array of advanced features and cutting-edge technology. Among these, the company highlighted a few, such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) capability, semi-automatic parking, and connectivity features based on 5G technology. The pickup will also include a sunroof.
Although there is no official confirmation of this, it would be interesting to see Mahindra re-enter the Malaysian market and compete with the other giant brands. But the biggest question would be – who will partner Mahindra to satisfy the government’s requirement to have a local partner?
