Mahindra launches Xylo-based pickup Genio, priced at Rs. 4.99 lakh

Mahindra & Mahindra have launched a new 1.2 ton pickup truck based on the Xylo platform called the Genio – another vehicle ending with the letter O.

The name is derived from what was the Xylo’s earlier code name – the Ingenio. The Genio comes with a 2.5 litre CRDe diesel engine that develops 75 bhp of power and 220 Nm of torque. It is available in a single-cab design, with a redesigned front end.

The front sports headlamps taken from the Logan, with round inserts for fog lamps in the bumper and a redesigned grille, without the chrome M&M “tooth” grille. It looks a lot more sober than the Xylo and in fact a tad better.

The BS3 variant of the Genio is available for Rs. 4.99 lakh ex-showroom Mumbai and the BS4 variant of the vehicle is priced at Rs. 15,000 more than the BS3 variant in cities where BS4 norms are in place. It is available in over 70 dealerships across the country.

The Genio does not offer much by means of creature comforts, but it does offer huge benefits to owners of small and medium businesses looking for an affordable and comfortable pick up. For instance, the oil change interval is only once in every 20,000 km, reducing maintenance costs. It comes with a load-sensing pressure valve on the brakes, adjusting braking force depending on the load. It is fitted with tubeless radial tyres (a first in this segment).

Mahindra’s pickup also has adjustable power steering with a turning radius of 6.15 metres, reclining semi-bucket seats, independent front suspension making it more comfortable to drive. However, it does not have air-conditioning, but features a split-rear window for better ventilation.

The Mahindra Genio is available in four colour options – Metallic Silver Shine, Diamond White, Marvel Granite and Skyline Blue, and competes with the Tata 207, besides its own stable mates, the Bolero Camper and Maxx Pik-Up. It does not feature a four-wheel drive variant at the moment.

The Genio will be made at Mahindra’s Chakan plant. The size of the pickup truck market is about 6,500 vehicles per month and is growing steadily as more people adopt this class of vehicle. In the commercial vehicle segment Mahindra now has a range of offerings – the Gio, Bolero Camper, Pik-Up, Maxximo and now the Genio. Its Scorpio-based pickup, the Getaway, is meant to be a lifestyle vehicle and not meant for the commercial sector.

Sales in the commercial vehicle sector for Mahindra have been growing fast. In December, the four-wheeler pick-up segment, which includes the Maxximo and the Gio, registered a growth of 47 percent, having sold 10,161 units during December 2010 as against 6,933 units during December 2009. Mahindra also plans to export the Genio.

It’s also interesting to note Mahindra’s obsession with the letter O at the end of the names of all its vehicles – Maxximo, Gio, Genio, Xylo, Scorpio, Bolero (the Getaway and Thar are the only exceptions). So any guesses what the W201 will be called? Clue: Last letter may end with an O.