Earlier we reported that Mahindra unveiled their new mFalcon family of engines. What’s exclusive about the new engine line-up is that Mahindra have indigenously created petrol powerplants. The launch event of the petrol engine was held post the diesel vehicle ban imposed by Supreme Court(SC) of India. In the wake of addressing the alarming pollution in the capital city, SC has banned the registrations of new diesel passenger vehicles above 2000cc in Delhi-NCR till 31st March 2016. Apart from the ban, SC is also planning to levy a one-time tax on the smaller displacement diesel engine cars.
The ruling has startled a lot of automobile manufacturers and dealers in the region, especially Mahindra which has an all-diesel product portfolio. Most of the Mahindra offerings are above 2000cc, therefore are obliged by the ban. Nearly 2% of Mahindra’s overall sales come from Delhi. More than 1000 unsold cars affected by the ban are lying at Mahindra dealerships, therefore to reduce the burden on dealers, the car maker is devising ways of moving the stock from Delhi to areas where it can be retailed.
The Indian SUV specialist has decided to refund booking amounts on their SUVs that have been affected by the Supreme Court decision. The new registrations of Bolero, Scorpio, Xylo and the popular XUV500 will be forbidden temporarily. Translating this as an opportunity for their other segment cars, Mahindra is set to attract customers with lucrative offers. Mahindra will strategize marketing plans to pump up the sales of their Verito, Verito Vibe CS and the all electric Mahindra e20.
Other cars affected by the ban are Ford Endeavour, Chevrolet’s Tavera and Captiva Trailblazer, Toyota Innova and Fortuner, cars from the Tata Motors portfolio. In addition to these, cars from premium brands like Mercedes, Porsche and Volvo etc, too are affected.
The next hearing on SC’s decision will be held on 5th January 2016, which is awaited by not only Mahindra but also other automobile manufacturers. The hearing might bring relieve to the taxing restrictions. In other news the new mFalcon petrol-engines might be introduced in the XUV500 and the Scorpio. The 500cr investment in the development of the new engine family has arrived right in time!