For starters Maxximo is a mini commercial vehicle from Mahindra & Mahindra which has just gone into sales in the same segment as Tata’s Ace. Ace is the first of its kind creating this niche of CVs. It was soon followed by similar vehicles from Piaggio and Force motors but no one has been able to match Ace’s performance and productivity until now, but from the looks of it Ace has gotten itself a worthy adversary in Maxximo.

Maxximo’s design is governed by the standards set by Ace, so it was built from scratch to be a bit more better in every aspect from Ace. For instance Maxximo has a 900cc 2-cylinder engine with 4-valves per cylinder and dual over head camshafts (DOHC). This engine produces 25hp and 55Nm of torque, of the two torque is more relevant here as it is the pulling capacity of the vehicle. This is a step or two higher than Ace’s 700cc engine with a power output of 16hp. A bigger engine would mean the Maxximo would be a bit thirstier than Ace’s engine but M&M has gone out of the ways of this segment to save fuel.

For instance the accelerator is connected to the engine through drive-by-wire technology instead of mechanical linkages, this on top of an electronically controlled fuel pump increases mileage by controlled fuel supply. The gear shift again is not linked mechanically but by cables which make gear shifts smooth like cars. This is significant as one of the major advantages of mini trucks is their ability to squeeze through congested lanes which require constant gear change, it doesn’t mean Ace’s gear shift is a handful but this shows M&M has thought things through.

When it comes to driver pampering Maxximo stands out. A dead pedal to reduce fatigue, flat seats with no hindrance in the middle so the driver can lie down, the seats even get head rests. A neat instrument panel has in addition to the usuals a small digital display which has with in an odometer, a clock and 2 trip meter readability. The dashboard has a lockable storage cabin, provision for a music system and the most useful of them all a cell phone charger socket.

Maxximo load carrying capacity is 100kilos more than the Ace’s at 850kgs. It sure is powerful enough to pull more weight but is it tough enough? Well M&M says YES! The rear leaf spring suspension get 3 more leafs compared to the Ace and the wheel rims are made thicker to withstand heavy loading. Even at full load it can manage a top speed of 70kmph. If the Ace and Maxximo are lined in for a drag race between lights Maxximo would beat it by a significant distance.

It has a few technically witty stuffs like the starter motor which has a gear reduction to crank up the engine instantaneously. The other clever stuff it Maxximo’s braking system, which has load sensors on the rear wheels and according to load on either side wheels brake pressure is distributed for effective braking. Better than that the brake system has a booster which means more effective braking for lesser effort give to depress the brake pedal. Don’t really know if these will work but they seem to check technically.

On paper Maxximo is a lot more for the same money as both the Ace and Maxximo cost around Rs. 2.79lakhs ex-showroom. However it is real time practically which has put the Ace on top, whether Maxximo would bite as good as it barks we would have to wait and watch.

Brochure:

Press Release:

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Photo Courtesy: Team-Bhp

Scorpio Special Edition:

This Special Edition gets the trim treatment with European leather upholstery kind of thing. On the outside it gets a few checkered flag stickers and that’s about it, oh ya only a 1000 of these will be made. If you are into fine interiors you might want to act fast.

Scorpio Lifestyle Modified:

This Scorpio was spotted outside of Pragati Maidan where the Auto Expo is going on. Best guess is that it’s a modified version of Mahindra’s Scorpio Lifestyle which is made only up on special orders by Mahindra’s Customization Department. Some call it the Platoon, why? Cos some guy named his customized Scorpio Platoon and the name kind of got stuck.

Xylo Celebration Edition:

Xylo Celebration Edition gets a bit more than the European leather upholstery treatment. This edition gets a DVD player, a new music system, blackened B and C pillars, roof ski racks,new pearl paint job and distinguishing Celebration Edition Decals. Again only a 1000 of these will be made available.

Xylo Modified:

M&M showcased the body kitted Xylo we saw on the 2009 Autocar Performance show. This body kit costs 3.5 lakhs and include some seriously bonkers modifications. Click here to read more on this one.

The Show stealer for M&M at the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo without a shallow of double was Thar. This according to Mahindra is an Indian take on the iconic Jeep CJ series and frankly I am blown away from what M&M has done with it. With its naked muscle it convinces that it can take up any terrain and the specs sure confirm it.

It has a 5-speed gear box and a transfer case for switching it to 4-wheel drive. On top of this it has a 2-speed gear reduction which bring the lowest gear ratio to 277.48:1, this means the wheels rotate only once for every 277.48 rotation of the crankshaft which provides the brute torque for pulling anything or pushing through any terrain.

The Thar displayed at Delhi is left hand drive and what we hear from Anand Mahindra’s Twitter page is that they are working on a right hand drive for India other than that there is no official word on the launch or the price. Hope Mahindra drops the Thar in the Indian Thar soon.

Thar Specification:

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Photo Courtesy: Team-BHP

Mahindra was one of the few who took this show seriously. Beside its “Great escape” crusade which involves a Scorpio pick-up going up and down a well gripped ramp outside the expo hall, it did put up a good show on the inside.

Mahindra showcased a new kit for its MPV Xylo which involved outer body skirts, front & rear bumpers much like the new muscular Scorpio, totally bizarre taillight and a inside filled with apples (not the fruit). The entire set up costs extra 3.5lakh rupees. It is uncertain whether it’s a technological showcase or it is up for sales.

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Stinger a customized version of the original Bolero was showcased for the second time at the Autocar performance Show. Since we weren’t around the report the first time we are doing it now. After its first unveiling at last year’s APS the car was launched this April.

Stinger has a 95bhp engine and custom built front guard with bunch of all sorts of lights thrown on it. The bonnet has an array of opening to dissipate engine heat. All this and a custom paint job and interior mods it is destined only to be an off-roader.

The Bolero Attitude is a two door version of the Stinger. With hummer like paint job and 4 roof lights both these off-roaders look cool.

Mahindra is going one down on the Ace and one up on the Ape with a 441.5cc diesel engine sub 1 top 4-wheeled light commercial vehicle called Gio much like Piaggio’s Ape Truk. With an ex-showroom price of Rs. 1.65lakh the Gio is 50,000 less than Piaggio’s Truk and 1Lakh less than Tata’s Ace.

The engine is a single cylinder direct injection diesel which is made by Kohler, USA. The engine produces 9.1bhp with a max. torque of 21Nm. The gearbox is a 4-speed sequential which makes urban driving easier. Mahindra claims that the Gio will return a mileage of 27kmpl.

The launch event was held in Mumbai headed by the energetic President of Mahindra Automotive Sector Mr. Pawan Goenka. During the launch Mr. Goenka said

“With the launch of Mahindra Gio, we have created a new Compact Truck category in the commercial vehicle segment. The Mahindra Gio is the first of its kind entry level 4 wheel cargo vehicle, and is all set to change the dynamics of the small CV segment. As city limits gradually expand and distribution needs increase, the Mahindra Gio presents a high earning potential for customers who will benefit from its high mileage, low maintenance cost, optimum utilization of space and low acquisition cost,”

This puny thing is quite interesting for any commercial vehicle. with 5 different peppy color paint job and a sequential gear box it stands out from the crowd and with a funny face it is quite a laugh!

Check out the pictures and specs from the Brochure

Press Release:

Attractive style
The Mahindra Gio doesn‟t just deliver on performance and economy. It is also one of the most stylish vehicles in its class. The signature Mahindra front grille on the flat front cabin adds a distinctly macho look to this smart Compact Truck. Five youthful shades – Peacock Blue, Royal Red, Golden Yellow, and Sporty Green ensure that the Mahindra Gio cuts a striking figure on city roads.

Mahindra-Renault has one car on the road in India and its hell bent on milking it for all its worth with end-less variants. We know all about the “Edge” and now comes “Play”, a brand new special edition. This comes with a fancy graphics, red alloys, a striking center console and a whole bunch of new stuff that Logan buyers were not looking for in the first place. Not that we don’t like it, the quirky graphics and bling alloys rather add to the already quirky looks of the car. The Logan is clearly the best car in its segment with its spacious seats and good mileage. The special edition adds more zing to the looks and makes it rather fresh to look at. And oh, did I not mention the lucky draw in which every buyer is a guaranteed winner (yeah, right!). Pointless promotions aside, the Logan “play” makes sense in more ways than one and young buyers will surely give it a second look. Now if only, Mahindra had given Logan’s claws some more metal in the form of powerful engine options instead making it plastic all the way…

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Mahindra 2-wheelers is soon going to enter the gearless scooter segment with two more scooters. Earlier we brought you the news snippet about its first gearless scooter Flyte, Mahindra is looking to add two scooters to its entourage.

The scooters are named Rodeo and Duro. The pictures we have so far suggest that both the scooters lack new design. While the better looking Duro borrows most of its designs from Kinetic’s old model Nova, Rodeo is just too dull to even look at. Once we have enough pictures we might change our minds. But for now Honda and TVS have nothing to worry about.

Mahindra 2-wheelers (M&M’s two wheeler branch formed by acquiring Kinetic Motors) launched its first gearless scooter Flite. The scooter will go head to head with the likes of Scooty and Activa. The Flite does include some interesting features like the Anti-theft shuttle lock and the very practical front petrol filling provision.

M&M acquired the once market leader in gearless scooters last year for Rs. 110 crores. M&M phased out the Kinetic brand and it will be using kinetic’s infrastructure only in terms of sales and distribution.

Anand Mahindra had said, “Kinetic Motors is a strategic fit with our overall two-wheeler strategy. The acquisition gives us an opportunity to emerge as a full-range player with a presence in almost every segment of the automobile industry.”

On a similar note Yamaha is also planning to enter into the gearless scooter segment. But unlike the Flite this one is going to sporty like all other Yamahas. Looks like Activa has got company.