Pickup trucks in India - The need of the hour

For the longest time, I have always stated that India is jeep country and we are a nation that has a rather healthy diet for big 4x4 machines. What they are called is immaterial since companies now don’t stick to the SUV moniker any longer, but you get the point I am trying to make. If I don’t sound convincing enough, look at Audi who is advertising the fact that India is the land of quattro, or Mahindra, who insists on leaving the road with their vehicles, or for that matter, Tata Motors who has a strong portfolio in the 4x4 category as well and not to forget the latest entrant, Force Motors, who are looking at making a name for themselves in this category. Even the upcoming Ford EcoSport is bent upon capitalizing on our craze for SUVs.

Yeah, the list is longer than that, but the fact remains that India is SUV country and while we just can’t seem to get enough of them, I really wonder why no manufacturer is considering the logical brand extension of introducing pick up trucks in the market alongside their SUV portfolio.

Thailand is just around the corner, and they are a nation that has taken to the pick-up truck like a fish takes to water. The Indian mentality doesn’t seem that different and while Mahindra and Tata have tried with the Getaway and Xenon respectively, we just haven’t seen that level of commitment. Surprising, because at the Auto Expo there were more people drooling over the Xenon than the new Safari!

I also understand that government regulation has a big role to play in the non establishment of this industry, but the only reason I continue to blame the manufacturers is because they aren’t lobbying hard enough to establish this new segment in India in the first place. Considering our love for big, go-anywhere machines, some of the rather trendy looking pick up trucks could possibly comprise an entire new segment in the Indian automobile market. After all, who wouldn’t want to own a Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Silverado, Volkswagen Amarok or an Isuzu D-Max?

These machines not only look good, but in many ways are more practical than just a big SUV. You get a five-seater, SUV-like drive and enough loading space to actually do something with. It’s the perfect combination for catering to a country that has both urban and rural demand. 

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Pick up trucks could cater to the urban market as the perfect adventure vehicle. I even see potential in motorsport for these machines. On the other hand, the rural market could get a workhorse and a family vehicle, essentially the best of both worlds in a single machine. Considering the way the market is going currently, a new segment could really help boost overall numbers for numerous manufacturers, especially if they can look at pricing the pick up in the region of Rupees 9-14 lakh, depending on make and variant.