MUMBAI: Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is eyeing a bigger play in global markets with its soon-to-be-launched global pickup, Lifestyler. The homegrown automaker said it will double down in markets such as South Africa and Australia, enter highly mature markets such as the United Kingdom and expand its presence in markets such as Indonesia, where it already has a presence through commercial vehicles.
“We will double down in core markets such as South Africa and Australia where we are strongly received. We will also bet on markets such as Chile and Tunisia where we have done well,“ said Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra.
He added that the company will also target markets where it sees significant potential.
“We talked about the UK, it is the largest right-hand drive (RHD) SUV market in the world after India. We don't have a presence there but we'll be very deliberate in how we go there,” said Gollagunta, adding that the company and its executives have spent a lot of time in these markets and are confident of creating a strong brand name.
“The difference is we now have products which are built for the globe from day one. We have spent a lot of time in dealerships across Australia and in the UK. We are watching what is going on in these markets. Now that we have convinced ourselves that the unit economics makes sense, we think we can do well over a sustained period of time,” he added.
“Then we believe there is a set of low-hanging fruit markets. We have presence there and we can stretch ourselves. A classic example is Indonesia. We are doing well there right now with the commercial vehicle. We are learning about that market and we realise this is a market we can play,” said Gollagunta.
The global pickup will be launched as the Mahindra Scorpio Lifestyler in India. First showcased as a concept in Cape Town, South Africa, in August 2023, the pickup will be launched as the Mahindra Lifestyler across international markets. The Scorpio Lifestyler is set to make its debut by April 2027, with India prices starting below Rs 19.79 lakh ex-showroom.
“We are the third largest automotive market in the world. We believe the market is evolving, maturing and becoming a lot more sophisticated. The problem we see is that there are not enough of these choices and as these choices come, people will opt for these lifestyle vehicles,” said Gollagunta.
At present, India is a very small market for pickup trucks/SUVs, with only one or two players offering models in this segment.
While Toyota currently dominates the category with the global best-seller Hilux, another Japanese player, Isuzu, established the lifestyle pick-up segment in India through the D-Max V-Cross.
Mahindra also introduced Battery as a Service (BaaS), under which it has priced the new BE 6 SPORTEQ series at Rs 11.45 lakh with BaaS and the battery at Rs 3.75 per km. Mahindra also took the wraps off two additional expressions of the SPORTEQ — the top-of-the-line Launch Edition and the performance-focused Formula E Freedom Edition.
Velusamy R, President, Automotive Business of M&M and Managing Director, Mahindra Electric Automobile, said, “Electric mobility is entering a new phase. Customers no longer judge an EV simply by its range or acceleration. They expect it to become more intelligent, more personal and more capable throughout its lifetime. SPORTEQ reflects that shift.“
