Mahindra once said they would deliver light diesel-powered pickup trucks to America at the end of 2009. Then they went silent. Now they have written to say the trucks may still come early next year if they can get through the EPA process, find enough parts, and have any left over from domestic sales. Why does this import/export situation seem backwards to me? It used to be Detroit telling the world they might have to wait:

While I cannot give you a firm answer on timing, I can tell you in my estimation, trucks will arrive in the spring of 2011.

Mahindra has applied for and received their EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) certificate, which means the vehicles have passed emission requirements. They also filed with (NHTSA) National Highway Safety Administration, which handles US standards for safety.

With these hurdles completed, it would seem production is imminent, but other factors may hinder the US launch. India’s car sales are on a dramatic trajectory upward. The sales pace combined with an industry wide parts shortage is impacting home market sales, which will have an affect on the United States introduction.

The truck specification sheet can be downloaded from the Mahindra site. The sheet boasts 236 ft/lb of torque while still getting “somewhere around 30 mpg”. This means payload capacity is not only higher than Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Nissan and Toyota but the engine will not struggle under load. A Ford Ranger, for example, puts out only 154 ft/lb torque in their most efficient engine.

So clearly it puts American small pickup trucks to shame on paper in terms of power and efficiency, and Mahindra is rated as one of the “Top 200 Forbes most reputable companies” but it is still up in the air if and when we will be able to test one. That is why for now I have to call it the Naan-Truck.

Update 2023: Oh, India, why must you be so plain awful?