10 Forgotten Mahindras: Armada To E2O Electric Car
Mahindra is an automotive major that has explicitly admitted of being an SUV brand and aspires to be the leader in the space. However, the company has made a range of vehicles in the past, most of which are hard to believe today. Here is a list of 10 such forgotten Mahindras:
Mahindra Scorpio Getaway
Mahindra used to sell a pickup truck based on the Scorpio SUV. First launched in 2007, this was largely a niche product. It came in both 2WD and 4WD forms and was offered with two diesel engine options- a 2.2-litre and a 2.5-litre. Back in its day, the Getaway had its ex-showroom prices in the range of Rs 8.99 -12.24 lakh. It, however, was discontinued after BS4 norms kicked in.
Grand Armada
The Armada was a huge hit in the SUV space. Building on its success, the Indian automaker launched Grand Armada. It targeted people who were on the lookout for a premium SUV. It had 4x4 hardware, and more luxuries and comfort features inside. The Grand Armada went on sale in 1998 and soon became a bigger success than the regular Armada. Even today, there are fans who badly want Mahindra to resurrect this nameplate.
Voyager
Many would connect the idea of a 'Mahindra van' with the Marazzo. However, a quick look at the company's past reveals that it has made another van, called the Voyager. It went on sale in late 1990s, when India was still new to the MPV culture. This in a way, led to its failure. People just did not want to spend on something that they could not comprehend properly. The Voyager did have a premium pricing. Interestingly, the Voyager was a rebaded Mitsubishi LS300 and came with a Peugeot-sourced 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine.
Commander
The Commander went on sale in India in early '90s. It was a decent success in the Indian market, making the carmaker launch multiple iterations and variants based on it over the decade. These came with soft tops and several seating options. The long wheelbase version was the crowd favourite and rose to massive acceptance in the semi-urban markets. The Commander came in 650 DI and 750 DP versions and had the choice of both 2 wheel-drive and 4 wheel-drive configurations.
Invader
Think of the Invader as a three-door version of the hugely popular Bolero. The rear had side-facing seats and the vehicle was targetted at younger buyers, especially in urban India. It had a partial soft roof and looked rugged-yet-stylish. Under the hood was a 2.5-litre diesel engine capable of producing 63 Bhp and 117 Nm. In sales, it could not match the expected numbers and was later discontinued.
AXE
Mahindra is a strong player in making defence and army vehicles. The AXE was a butch SUV targetted at buyers who like vehicles like the GM Hummer. It was in fact, based on an Israeli vehicle and rode on massive tyres. Powering it was a 2.7-litre diesel engine that made 173 Bhp and 346 Nm. A 4-litre petrol engine was also offered.
Mahindra Legend
Image Source: Motoroctane
What if we told you that the Thar, an SUV which over the years, has become an icon, was originally inspired by this- the Mahindra Legend? Well, that's true. Based on the MM540/550 platform, only 40 of these were made and were sold on and invite-only basis. It was just available as a two-door SUV that dame with a 2.5-litre diesel engine. The first-generation Thar originated from this SUV!
GenZe
GenZe is a company that manufactures and sells electric two-wheelers. It is in fact, a US-based subsidiary of Mahindra. Today, their portfolio includes both electric bicycles and e-scooters. Before you ask, this company is still doing well and isn't 'forgotten'. However, some of its products were spotted testing on Indian roads, but the market launch never happened. On those lines, these can be considered forgotten Mahindras.
Verito Vibe
The Verito, as you'd know, was a sedan. The 'Vibe' was a hatchback based on it, which Mahindra launched in 2013, with a starting price of Rs 5.63 lakh, ex-showroom. On many fronts, including the design, the Vibe borrowed heavily from the Verito. It even came with the same 1.5-litre dCi CRDi diesel engine as the sedan. The transmission on offer was a five-speed manual unit.
Mahindra e2O
Mahindra used to sell a tiny electric hatchback in India, long before India's EV race began. It was called the E2O and was based on the ReVA i. It went on sale in 2013, as an electric car for the cities. In a way, it tried to play an MG Comet a decade before the MG arrived on our shores. It came with 10.08 kWh and 13.4 kWh battery packs and continued to be on sale till 2016.