New name, new ideas
KGM New Zealand, is part of the London headquartered Inchcape Group, who increased its NZ presence in August 2023 with the acquisition of SsangYong distribution and five retail outlets.
India is a powerhouse of low cost production, and major manufacturers are increasingly setting up shop there to take advantage of this.
The Mahindra company can be traced back to a foundation in 1945, when it introduced the Willys Jeep to the masses and its grown massively since then. Today Mahindra has a vision to be a major world player, seeking growth through innovation and with an eye to the environment and its people.
And looking at the current annual turnover of 16.9 billion USD, spread across 18 divisions as diverse as agriculture and aerospace, and employing 180,000 people, no one could call this company small.
In agriculture alone Mahindra is the world's largest producer of tractors by volume – 300,000 units annually roll off the production lines in a range 22-100hp.
In automotive it produces cars, trucks, utes and electric scooters. In 2015 they bought the American UTV manufacturer Intimidator, and now produce the Mahindra Mpact XTV.
The business also sees emerging technologies as important to its future; it tests these technologies by participating in motorsport – five teams ride Mahindra motorcycles in Moto3 GP racing, and the company races in Formula E, the Formula 1 equivalent for electric race cars.
Mahindra owns 70% of the Korean car company SsangYong, and last year it bought Peugeot-Citreon's motorcycle business and the Italian design firm Pininfarina, the designer of stunning Ferrari, Rolls Royce and Maserati models.
At Northland Fieldays the company will showcase its rugged no-nonsense ute – the new XUV 500 SUV with a host of technological and safety features that will put it up against better known Japanese and European brands – and the new Mpact XTV, of interest to Northlanders wanting tough gear able to handle a good days work.
Mahindra's new Mpact XTV will be on show at Waimumu.
