Anand Mahindra Reacts To Rumors Of Selling SUVs In Japan

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra took to Twitter on Friday to clarify that the company isn’t planning on entering the automobile market in Japan after media reports pictured a Scorpio-N SUV in the country.

What Happened? Mahindra’s popular offroader was spotted on the back of a flatbed truck after a camouflaged unit was photographed in its new surroundings. The report, shared by CarBlogIndia, does however note that the SUV was likely imported to Japan for benchmarking.

Anand Mahindra was quick to corroborate assumptions adding that Mahindra was “not beginning to sell in Japan. Not yet, at least.”

In case you’re wondering what benchmarking means in the automotive industry, it is a common practice where OEMs evaluate competing products to identify possible weaknesses that could be improved on.

Read next: Why Tata Motors Shares Are Up Today

While product benchmarking in the automotive industry traditionally involves other manufacturers, its primary purpose is to positively impact internal processes.

Mahindra launched the 2022 model of the Scorpio N SUV in India last July. The Scorpio-N is offered in two engine options in the country. It gets a 2.0-litre ‘mStallion’ turbocharged petrol motor that develops 197 bhp of power and 380 Nm of torque.

The other engine option is a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel unit that churns out up to 173 bhp of power. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed torque-converter AT with Mahindra's 4 XPLOR 4-wheel drive system.

Read next: Supercharged Olectra Shares Refuse To Slow Down, Jump 15% Today