[Stratos]

Mahindra launched the passenger mini-van version of their Maxximo pickup truck today. Mahindra aims to sell this vehicle solely in the semi-urban and rural markets. It is aimed at the Tata Magic and Maruti Omni.



According to Mahindra, this van shares 65% of its components with the pick-up version. The van comes with the same 2 Cylinder CRDe diesel engine from the pick up. This little unit sits under the drivers seat and produces 25 bhp. More about the engine in the next post. Some parts have a flimsy look, but paint quality is top-notch.

Some Highlights:

- Monocoque chassis.
- 2 Cylinder CRDe engine.
- 4-Speed Manual Transmisson
- Brakes with Load Sensing Proportioning Valve
- Independent Front Suspension
- Dead Pedal
- BS IV, CNG models expected soon









Bare basic interior. Glovebox on the top in the center.


Upright seats which do not incline backward due to the rear passenger bench, which does not fold either.


I was surprised to find a dead pedal in such a bare basic vehicle. About time it comes standard in up-market cars.


Frame-less rear door. Soft-Top covering makes the window bigger and provides better ventilation.


Manually rolling window cover. The right rear door does not open.


Butterfly window. A first in its class.


Good space at the back unless and untill no passengers sit on the opposite side.


Strong side step.


Internal door panel. Plastics used are cheap.


Ugly protruding wheel caps on 12 inch wheels.

[Stratos]

Driving Impressions:

Enter the Maxximo and you are greeted with a bare basic and crude interior. Most parts inside have a rudimentary feel. The driver gets good amount of leg space. The driver seat is upright and does not incline backwards. It was not uncomfortable at all though. Start the 2 cylinder CRDe engine and what comes to life is a mix of audible knocks and a constant whine. The engine is noticeable noisy even at idle. Once on the move the engine noise rises to high levels with the climbing rpm. There is almost no sound proofing and as the engine is under the front seat, the noise enters the cabin to make you uncomfortable. While driving there is constant delivery of the little amount of horsepower it produces. This power is enough to propel the Maxximo van to a top speed of 70 km/hr.

In terms of transmission, the 4-speed gear box feels rudimentary. The gear throw is long but properly mapped gates makes shifting easy. The Maxximo comes with an Independent Front Suspension and leaf springs at the back. This setup provides an acceptable ride and will be loved by drivers who commute on bad or non-existent rural roads. The monocoque chassis results in less body roll as well. The rack and pinion, non-power assisted steering wheel does not feel hard at all. Even reverse parking it in a tight spot was easy.

Thus, as a vehicle which is targeted towards the rural market, the Maxximo has and does everything that a customer in that market might need. We might see an electric Maxximo in the coming 8-9 months.

[sarmarishi]

Thing to note: The door panel of this van although rudimentary is better quality and better looking than that of the Thar!! And the Thar is called a lifestyle vehicle..

[xingamazon]

Stratos,

Thats a good report of the vehicle thanks for that.
I can imagine this becoming a people mover similar to the Ace magic in Chennai.

Few observations from my side.
1. The seating position seems to be a bit higher than that of the Ace Magic, also the vehicle looks thinner than the Ace, I am wondering isnt there a chance of vehicle tilting a lot in the turns.
2. Dead pedal is indeed a cool addition, I guess its because current autos comes with hand clutches, thus the transition would be difficult for auto drivers moving to thsi vehicle, unlike most car drivers who already had got adjusted to no-dead pedal situation.
I guess this is a well thought point for them.
3. I am sure no one will be complaining about the cheap quality of plastics here
Anything to get rid of the current auto rickshaw is always welcome.

[DicKy]

Though rudimentary and reminds me of buses, a DEAD PEDAL in a bare frill low cost van?
Mainstream manufacturers should learn a thing or two.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by xingamazon

2. Dead pedal is indeed a cool addition, I guess its because current autos comes with hand clutches, thus the transition would be difficult for auto drivers moving to thsi vehicle, unlike most car drivers who already had got adjusted to no-dead pedal situation.

A small correction: The Bajaj Diesel ricks already come with Clutch pedals, and not hand clutches. The gear is still on the handle, but the clutch is now pedal activated.

I am not sure of Ape/Mahindra ricks - have not noticed the clutch in any of them.

[Mpower]

Nice! The rear end has a bit of design flair too. Front end has the typical Mahindra grotesque look.

Does the engine have a turbo? or intercooler?

The front seat angle is an ergonomic disaster. Imagine a driver doing an 8 hr shift.

[misquitas]

Some queries...

1. Is this Maxximo minivan a 8-seater or a 9-seater?
2. The front co-driver's seat appears to be wide. Does it seat two persons?
3. How is the boot space in the van?
4. What is the fuel economy or the ARAI FE?
5. Can a permanent rear window be fitted, instead of the cloth covers?
6. Is there only one variant of the minivan or are there multiple variants like the Tata Venture or Maruti Eeco?
7. How does it compare with the Tata Magic, its nearest competitor?

Thanks to anyone who can provide the answers.

Melvyn

[AWD]

Apart from the Van itself, what strikingly comes to mind is that it looks much better in overall Design, Quality & execution than a ~8L Mahindra Thar!

For Private use, if the bench just behind the Drive seat is removed, the front seats could have more flexibility. Is there a blower option on some model, maybe one can install an A.C. & voila, a spacious, efficient City crawl!

[misquitas]

What is the idea of having cloth rear windows when the minivan has a hard-top body?

Also, the idea of "butterfly windows" for the rear passengers has never appealed to me. I preferred the side moving windows (like those on the Tata Sumo) as they offer far more breeze and ventilation to the many passengers in the rear section.

[sukiwa]

what's that black rod between clutch pedal & brake pedal?
Is it part of steering mechanism & does it not hinder while operating clutch pedal?

[Stratos]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Is it part of steering mechanism & does it not hinder while operating clutch pedal?

No it does not. Many trucks too have the clutch on the left of the steering column, accelerator and brake pedals on the right.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Also, the idea of "butterfly windows" for the rear passengers has never appealed to me. I preferred the side moving windows (like those on the Tata Sumo) as they offer far more breeze and ventilation to the many passengers in the rear section.

The butterfly windows confuse me too. No point in having it is what i feel. A sliding window would be better suited.

So is this a competitor for Tata ace?? How are the sales of these group of vehicles as i would never travel in them unless it is short hauls.

[Stratos]

Originally Posted by maddy42

So is this a competitor for Tata ace?? How are the sales of these group of vehicles as i would never travel in them unless it is short hauls.

This van is a competitor to the Tata Magic (which is based on the Ace). The Maxximo pick-up competes with the Ace.

Approximate sales figures indicate that Tata Ace crossed the 1 lac mark in 2010 and Mahindra sold 40,000+ units since the Maxximo's launch last year.

It is a very big segment, over shadowed by the fact that few of these vehicles enter the metropolitan cities (BS III Norms) to be visible in large numbers.

[gshanky]

Seems like a nice effort. But I still feel that Omni is not really affected by this. In this segment omni/eeco still seem to have the ideal form factor and refinement. The competition has to catch up a lot.

For vehicles like Ace magic and Maxximo van, currently the USP is diesel engine. I hope they innovate and compete with feature like AT, ride and handling, etc.