Automobiles
Mahindra began assembling the Jeep CJ3 in 1954, and light commercial vehicles in 1965. In 1979 the licensed assembly of Peugeot diesel four-cylinder engines and transmissions began, and in 1982 a tie-up with Kia Motors to build their four-speed KMT90 transmission and transfer case was announced.[53] Mahindra's MM range was a mainstay of the lineup and was eventually also offered with a 1.8-liter Isuzu petrol engine in addition to International and Peugeot diesels.[54]
In 1965 in Pimpri, Pune, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd formed Roplas India Ltd. as a joint venture with Rubery Owen, a Darlaston-based engineering firm,[55] to manufacture after market fibre glass bodies for Mahindra 91, 101, and 104.5 licensed versions of Jeep CJ which included every possible configuration service vans, police bodies, off-roader and ambulance models.[56] They collaboratively also formed Mahindra Owen at Pune in 1958, an engineering company to manufacture truck trailers, one of the first trailer manufacturer of India.
In December 1989 Mahindra launched its 4x4 offroad SUV range which consisted of licence-built versions of the Jeep CJ named Brave, Chief, and Baja. These were powered by four-cylinder, 2.1-litre Peugeot diesel engines producing 62 hp and were available in 2032mm and 2311mm wheelbase variants. These were sold under motor industry investments, a joint venture between Paul Stoddart an Australian businessman and Roger Bastable founder of Abby Hill Group.[57]
Mahindra started making passenger vehicles firstly with the Logan in April 2007 under the Mahindra Renault joint venture.[58] M&M made its maiden entry into the heavy trucks segment with the Mahindra Truck and Bus Division, the joint venture with International Truck, USA.[59] Mahindra produces a wide range of vehicles, including MUVs, LCVs and three-wheelers. It manufactures over 20 models of cars, including larger, multi-utility vehicles like the Scorpio and the Bolero. It formerly had a joint venture called Ford India Private Limited to build passenger cars.[60]
At the 2008 Delhi Auto Show, Mahindra executives said the company was pursuing an aggressive product expansion program that would see the launch of several new platforms and vehicles over the next three years, including an entry-level SUV designed to seat five passengers and powered by a small, turbocharged Diesel engine.[61] True to their word, Mahindra & Mahindra launched the Mahindra Xylo in January 2009, selling over 15,000 units in its first six months.[62]
Also in early 2008, Mahindra commenced its first overseas CKD operations with the launch of the Mahindra Scorpio in Egypt,[63] in partnership with the Bavarian Auto Group. This was soon followed by assembly facilities in Brazil.
Mahindra & Mahindra has a controlling stake in Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicles.[64]
Mahindra launched its relatively heavily publicized SUV, XUV500, code-named as W201 in September 2011. The new SUV by Mahindra was designed in-house and it was developed on the first global SUV platform that could be used for developing more SUVs. In India, the new Mahindra XUV500 came in a price range between ₹1140000–1,500,000. The company was expected to launch three products in 2015 (two SUVs and one CV) and an XUV500 hybrid. Besides India, the company also targeted Europe, Africa, Australia and Latin America for this model.[65] Mahindra President Mr. Pawan Goenka stated that the company planned to launch six new models in the year.[66] The company launched the CNG version of its mini truck Maxximo on 29 June 2012.[67] A new version of the Mahindra Verito in Diesel and petrol options was launched by the company on 26 July 2012 to compete with Maruti's Dzire and Toyota Kirloskar Motor's Etios.[68]
On 30 July 2015, Mahindra released sketches of a new compact SUV called the TUV300 slated to be launched on 10 September 2015.[69] The TUV300 design took cues from a battle tank and used a downsized version of the mHAWK engine found on the XUV500, Scorpio and some models of the Xylo. This new engine was dubbed the mHAWK80.[70]
In 2015, Mahindra introduced an app based intra-city cargo platform known as SMARTSHIFT, a load exchange platform for small commercial vehicles.[71] In 2018, Mahindra announced the merger of SMARTSHIFT with Mumbai-based logistics provider Porter.[72][73]
In January 2016 Mahindra launched a sub-compact monocoque SUV called the KUV100. The KUV100 received a major refresh in the form of the KUV100 NXT launched in October 2017.[74][75]
On 3 September 2018, Mahindra Marazzo the shark inspired MPV was launched in collaboration with Mahindra Research Valley (MRV), MANA and Pininfarina in four variants.[76]
In February 2019, Mahindra launched its XUV300, a sub-4m compact monocoque SUV. The XUV300 was found to be the safest vehicle made in India in an independent crash test conducted by GNCAP, earning it a 5-star adult safety rating along with India's first ‘Safer Choice’ Award.[77][78]
In October 2020, Mahindra launched the second-generation Thar 2020 – the All-New Thar.[79]
In 2021, Mahindra launched the XUV700.[80]
On 27 June 2022, Mahindra released the Scorpio N, also called the "Big Daddy of SUVs". The previous generation will now be called, "Scorpio Classic".[81]
Farm equipment
Mahindra began manufacturing tractors for the Indian market during the early '60s. It is the top tractor company in the world (by volume) with annual sales totaling more than 200,000 tractors. Since its inception, the company has sold over 2.1 million tractors.[99] Mahindra & Mahindra's farm equipment division (Mahindra Tractors) has over 1,000 dealers servicing approx. 1.45 million customers.[100]
Mahindra tractors are available in 40 countries, including India, the United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, Africa (Nigeria, Mali, Chad, Gambia, Angola, Sudan, Ghana, and Morocco), Latin America (Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Central America, and the Caribbean), South Asia (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal), the Middle East (Iran and Syria) and Eastern Europe (Serbia, Turkey, and Macedonia).[100] Mahindra Tractors manufactures its products at four plants in India, two in Mainland China, three in the United States, and one in Australia. It has three major subsidiaries: Mahindra USA, Mahindra (China) Tractor Company, and Mahindra Yueda (Yancheng) Tractor Company (a joint venture with the Jiangsu Yueda Group).[100]
