Story & photos by Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes
DESPITE the differences in the world’s religions, Hinduism prevailed mostly in India and Nepal with about 900 million adherents worldwide. Most prevalent among Hindus’ beliefs is their devotion to the elephant god, “Ganesha,” patron of the arts, sciences, and bringer of success and new beginnings.
And perhaps, new beginnings are what the local distributors of the Indian carmaker, Mahindra, prayed really hard for as the brand officially entered our shores, anew.
Now back with a vengeance from its stumble in the 1990s, India’s current leading sport utility-vehicles manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), through its local channel partner M/S Colombian Motors, a large conglomerate and a respected name in the country, kick-started its opening campaign with a strong foray of 1,470 Mahindra Enforcers, which were supplied to the Philippine National Police, and the inauguration of three new showrooms in Metro Manila.
In a recent grand launch led by Mahindra top brass from India, President and Chief Executive Pravin Shah and Asianbrands Motors Corp. (AMC) head honcho Felix Mabilog, at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City, made their intentions known to the public. “We are very pleased with how fast we have grown thus far,” Shah said. “In the months and years to come, it is our vision to further expand and strengthen the presence of Mahindra in the Philippine automotive market. Hence, the inaugural of these new showrooms is in line with our expansion strategy for the Asean market,” he added.
These said dealerships are located in Manila, Las Piñas and Pasay Cities. At present, all are now open to field inquiries, sales and after-sales needs.
In the following months, more of these dealerships will soon rise in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Butuan.
Asianbrands guarantees that clients can expect “state-of-the-art” facilities, proficient service technicians and highly knowledgeable sales consultants. It also boasts of spare-parts availability, capable general-repair services and preventive-maintenance assistance, which all ensure a worry-free ownership experience from the Indian automotive brand.
During the launch, there were two models on display: the Enforcer SUV and the Xylo MPV.
The Enforcer, available in four variants, and the Xylo, with one, are priced as follows: Enforcer Single Cab 4×2, P650,000; Enforcer Single Cab 4×4, P795,000; Enforcer Double Cab 4×2, P750,000, Enforcer Double Cab 4×4 , P895,000; and Xylo MPV, P850,000.
The Enforcers are all powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which cranks out 100 hp of power and 240 Nm of torque, while the seven-seater Xylo has a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine with a variable-geometry turbo rated at a healthier 120 hp and 280 Nm.
“We are looking forward to seeing more and more Mahindra vehicles in the country,” an elated Mabilog shared. “With a growing dealership network, our customers can be rest assured that their Mahindra vehicles will always be in tip-top condition.”
Aside from the aforementioned, the AMC president also presented the new basketball team called the “Mahindra Enforcers,” who will be a force to be reckoned with when it plays in the next season of the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is a revamp of the Kia Carnivals, which played under the same group of companies.
Mahindra & Mahindra is a $16.5-billion group based in Mumbai, India, which employs more than 180,000 people over 100 countries.
It currently enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defense, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two-wheeler industries. Aside from the initial dawn of successes in the country, this writer deems that they also ought to pray for steady growth and years of favorable local outcomes.
Image credits: Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes