Mahindra makes strides in Zimbabwean market

Eugene Matarise

Mahindra & Mahindra is a leading multinational automotive manufacturing company, which is headquartered in India.

In 2018 the company took a great leap of faith and established a vehicle manufacturing plant in Durban, South Africa.

Within a short space of time, it had carved out a niche as the manufacturer of tough, high-value bakkies.

Mahindra vehicles are trusted by the market, thanks to their robustness and affordability.

After driving around Zimbabwe in a Mahindra bakkie S6 Pik Up 4×4, way back in 2019 on off-road on-road excursions, I can confess that I am a staunch believer in the Indian brand.

I have been at odds trying to convince my peers and colleagues to follow suit.

But thanks to Mahindra, which has a strong proposition for Africa, it’s the statistics, figures, and facts that will do the convincing here!

In 2022 alone, Mahindra had an 87 percent increase in car sales in South Africa, which is the highest growth rate among all brands of vehicles, having sold a monthly average of over 1000 units in the first quarter of that year.

The brand is steadily growing its footprint. In the past month alone, 711 Mahindra Pik Up trucks were sold in South Africa alone.

According to a report by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), the Indian automotive manufacturer has been named the fastest-growing brand in South Africa in 2022.

This is the second time, since 2019, that Mahindra has been crowned South Africa’s fastest-growing brand.

Over the past few years, Mahindra has been on an onslaught, closing in on its opponents in different sectors, while playing catch-up with more established counterparts, and picking up several accolades in the process.

Mahindra compact crossovers have been accepted in their target segment.

In 2019, the young stylish and modern KUV 100 NXT K6+ 1,2-litre model topped the 2019 AA report in its category.

It was voted as the most affordable vehicle to maintain, due to its low cost of ownership and fuel efficiency, beating all other compact crossovers.

The XUV 300 an affordable safe SUV has proved popular, and was recently voted the safest car in Africa in 2022.

Mahindra has now entered the war in the highly competitive SUV segment.

A highly anticipated SUV, the XUV 500 was unveiled in India in 2022.

The bold and curvy SUV, equipped with modern technology, will disrupt the segment with its good looks and competitive pricing.

It is a bold SUV, with a commanding stance, and engraved with the new “Twin peak’’ Mahindra emblem.

Turning to our country Zimbabwe. With anticipated growth in mining, agriculture, construction, health, and tourism, Mahindra’s brand of vehicles resonates well with the direction our country is pursuing.

Mahindra has a strong proposition, with robust, value-for-money range of vehicles that cut across all these sectors.

The success of the Mahindra brand in South Africa signifies the dawn of a new era for Mahindra customers in Zimbabwe.

For several years, Mahindra customers locally have found it difficult to access the much-needed spare parts, at an affordable price.

Compromised after-sales service and unavailability of the company’s new brand of vehicles has been a cause for concern in the past.

I vividly recall coming across customers traveling from as far as Victoria Falls, Masvingo, Gweru to Harare to access a service, or hunt for spare parts, a daunting and expensive exercise.

But there is good news for all Mahindra vehicle owners and prospective buyers.

A major investment is being rolled out, which includes a state-of-the-art showroom that will house the widest selection of Mahindra vehicles in the country, a dedicated Mahindra service center, and a spare parts warehouse.

Mahindra Auto, the new flagship Mahindra dealership, will set new standards in the local automobile industry, as it will be the biggest Mahindra dealership in the country.

As a flagship dealership built on the highest standards, it will follow the legacy set by the Croco Holdings Group.

To elevate its customer experience, Mahindra Auto will leverage on the group’s branch networks dotted across all major cities, to provide an unparalleled experience in new vehicle sales, parts supply, and after-sales support.

I got in touch with Mr Lewis Nyamudeza, acting dealer principal for Mahindra Auto Zimbabwe to seek clarity with regards to the new flagship.

“Yes, I can confirm that Mahindra Auto is operational. We have just brought in the popular range of Pik Up trucks, S6 and S4, and the Mahindra Karoo.

“We are currently taking orders of the much-anticipated Mahindra XUV 700, and New Scorpio N.

“We are expecting to receive stocks of the XUV 300 and the XUV 700, the brand’s flagship offering, in the coming weeks.

“Mahindra customers can expect the highest level of customer service from Mahindra Auto,” he said.

The Mahindra Karoo Pik Up comes with automatic transmission, and is available in 4×4 and 4X2.

It is manned by Mahindra’s trusted 2,2-litre mHawk turbo diesel engine, which produces 103 Kw (kilowatts) at 3750 rpm (revolutions per minute), and 320 Nm (newton-meters) of torque from 1500 rpm.

The Karoo has proven to be popular in South Africa.

“Since launching the S11 Automatic and the S11 Karoo models the demand for our new automatic transmission has far outstripped supply,” said Mahindra South Africa CEO Mr Rajesh Gupta, in an interview with South African media.

This speaks volumes of the capabilities of the Mahindra Karoo.

*Eugene Matarise is a Zimbabwean motoring enthusiast. He can be contacted on Mobile: +263 77 945 4499