jon@dakota-truck.net wrote:
>
> Hey, that's pretty cool! I hope it does well and spurs the other
> manufacturers to build compact/mid size diesel pickups.
Exactly. I seriously doubt I'd ever get one, but I am glad that they're
going to be entering the market and hopefully giving it a good shake. I
Googled for a review and found one from Australia that concluded it was
a competent vehicle, but the interior is apparently relentlessly cheap.
The only way to keep from breaking stuff is not to touch anything, or
even look at it very hard.
> Personally, I
> think they are making a mistake with the whole diesel hybrid version
> though; just stick with the diesel.
Yeah, I'm still scratching my head over that one. I've read that the
reason they don't make diesel-electric hybrids (I'm talking cars and
trucks, I know all about diesel-electric trains, thanks) is that the
setup doesn't benefit a diesel engine the way it does a gas engine. The
electric motor in a gas hybrid compensates for the weakness of a small
gas engine (no torque at low RPMs to help get moving from a standstill).
Since diesels don't have the same weakness, they don't need the
electric motor to get the vehicle moving, and the system isn't worth the
extra weight and complexity.
Mahindra could be using a mild hybrid, though, which could work well
with a diesel. These don't really have hybrid drivetrains, they're
mostly just a marketing strategy to leverage the trendiness of the word
"hybrid". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mild_hybrid
It seems to me that they've significantly changed their strategy.
Typically new imports come in at the cheapest price point in order to
build a customer base. It worked for the Japanese and Koreans, and the
Chinese are going to be doing the same thing. Sounds like Mahindra had
a different idea, should be interesting to see if they can really
leapfrog the established models in the American market. That might be
why they're jumping on the hybrid bandwagon, because they know they'll
get a lot of media attention (free advertising) out of it.
-- Jason Bleazard http://drazaelb.blogspot.com Burlington, Ontario his: '95 Dakota Sport 4x4, 3.9 V6, 5spd, Reg. Cab, white hers: '01 Dakota Sport 4x4, 4.7 V8, Auto, Quad Cab, black
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