Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd on Wednesday introduced a new premium pickup called Imperio that will replace its Genio model, which is now solely supplied to the overseas markets. Imperio is Mahindra’s eighth new vehicle or variant introduction in 2015-16.
For 2015-16, the company had announced plans to offer 10 new products and two more will be introduced by March 2016, top company officials said.
To cater to the transportation needs of small and medium businesses, farmers, and even contractors, Imperio is priced starting Rs 6.25 lakh (ex-showroom Thane, for Single cabin BS3 variant).
“Imperio lays a strong foundation for an entirely new generation of pickups in India. Being a market leader in the pickup segment, we identified gaps to further consolidate our presence in the small commercial vehicle segment,” said Pravin Shah, president and chief executive (automotive), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
Imperio has an aerodynamically designed exterior look with an SUV like front and is available in three metallic colours. It has a unique feature such as fuel smart technology that enables the pickup to consume seven per cent less fuel while it is on return journey without any load.
The pickup has a superior load carrying capacity of 1,240 kg; its engine delivers 75 HP power (56 kW); has 220 Nm torque (pulling power); and has a mileage of 13.55 km per litre.
The vehicle will be produced at Mahindra’s Chakan plant and it will be sold along with a warranty of three years/1 lakh km (whichever is earlier). The company has invested Rs 71 crore to develop this vehicle and 200 engineers worked for two years on this project.
The plant has a capacity to manufacture 20,000 Imperio pickups a year. In case of rise in demand, the capacity can be enhanced, Mr Shah said.
The vehicle will be available in four variants: two single-cabin options (SC, SC-VX) and two double-cabin options (DC, DC-VX). It has undergone rigorous test runs and has been validated on all performance, safety, and reliability parameters.
Imperio is priced starting Rs 6.25 lakh (ex-showroom Thane, for Single cabin BS3 variant)
