M&M to launch mini-truck 'Maxximo' at Delhi expo

Adding to the plethora of launches announced for the Delhi Auto Expo starting on 5 January, Mahindra & Mahindra - India's biggest utility vehicle maker - on Wednesday said it will launch a new mini-truck, the Maxximo, at the show.

"Mahindra will unveil its next generation mini truck, named Maxximo at the Auto Expo 2010, the first product to be rolled out of Mahindra's new Chakan plant. Maxximo has been developed and designed on the basis of extensive customer feedback," Mahindra & Mahindra president (automotive sector) Pawan Goenka said in a statement.

"Technology is the abiding theme of the Mahindra pavilion at the Auto Expo 2010. Mahindra's fuel-efficient vehicles and state-of-the-art technologies will undoubtedly appeal to the international audience at the Expo," he added.

The Maxximo is positioned as a rival to the Tata Ace, and is likely to have a similar price tag. However, it is expected to have a higher payload than the Ace.

The Maxximo will be powered by two-cylinder, 900cc direct injection Hawk engine and a gearbox from Kinetic Engineering, the same company that manufactures gearboxes for the Tata Nano.

The styling will reportedly be similar to that of the company's recently-launched 'Gio'. But, while the Gio is 0.5 tonne truck, the new maxximo is speculated to be a 0.8 tonne truck.

According to reports, Maximmo will be the first vehicle in India to use advanced diesel engine technology, developing 25bhp of peak power (approximately) at 3600rpm and 55Nm of maximum torque. The cabin design is ergonomic to provide a comfortable ride for the driver as well as passengers, even on long journeys.

Mahindra, the only Indian automobile company to straddle the road transport ecosystem, will showcase their entire product portfolio at the Expo. The company's range of vehicles includes two wheelers, utility vehicles, sports utility vehicles, light commercial vehicles and trucks. Mahindra's pavilion will cover over 2,000 sq m.