The Mahindra Pik-Up ute will go on sale in Western Australia this month with four new dealerships adding to the 20 existing along the east coast.

Mahindra Australia CEO Claire Tynan said the addition of ABS and airbags as standard on the latest Pik-Up, as well as new Australian made seatbelts and load pretensioners would make the vehicle appealing to the new market.

“As per our market in the east coast, the Pik-Up is likely to appeal to tradies and farmers, but will also be of much interest to the mining community which is very exciting for us.”

Dealers in Rockingham, Melville, Bunbury and Geraldton expect that the vehicle will appeal to working-class buyers in WA.

Midwest Mahindra dealer principal, Brett Micallef, said he believed the diesel would be a popular option in Geraldton.

“As successful as the vehicle has been in rural areas across the Eastern Seaboard, we believe the Mahindra Pik-Up will be as appealing here locally.  Particularly given all of the safety and extra standard features the newest model offers, we think this is a well priced workhorse that any buyer should consider in the mix.”

Tynan refuses to submit Mahindra’s sales figures to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries to avoid being “scrutinised every month”, but the Indian company is believed to sell less than 1000 vehicle per year.

However, Tynan expects to turn that around with the expansion into WA, as well as the introduction of the four-wheel drive Scorpio wagon in the first half of 2010 and the Xylo people mover which is under consideration.

by Tim Beissmann