Gone are the days when dealer showrooms were flooded with pickup shoppers looking for a daily driver that rarely saw any real work.  The recession and last summer’s $4/gallon gas memory has hit the US pickup sales extremely hard, down -37.5% year to date September according to WSJ data. More than twice the hit US car sales have taken at – 16.7%.

All signs point to fuel economy as the reason pickup sales have taken such a hit. Now the question is what will it take to get them back?  GM is launching hybrid pickups this year, which will most likely do well with city driving purchasers. But what about drivers who need towing capacity and are on the freeway? Are they left in the cold for new fuel efficient pickups? Arriving early 2010 these consumers have a friend.

Say hello to Mahindra. Well, for some pickup buyers this won’t be the first time. Mahindra, an Indian tractor manufacturer, is one of the world’s largest tractor companies and they have been selling tractors in the US since the early 80’s. February 2010 Mahindra is launching a pickup in the US that gets 30 miles per gallon with a 5,000 pound towing capacity. Early reviews are showing this truck could be a steal at $22,000. 

Don’t bother checking your nearest tractor dealer; Mahindra will be selling these pickups through conventional auto dealers.  They are getting approached by many big names in the dealer circles, something we’re not surprised to hear at all.

See more here at Mahindra’s International Site.

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