Asian invasion begins

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Australia is set for an invasion of Chinese and Indian cars and the return of several nameplates missing for some years.
Indian company Mahindra is about to relaunch in Australia with the Pik-Up ute.
It joins a growing list of new or returned marques in the Australian market after the re-introduction last year of Fiat and Dodge, Hummer and Skoda this year while Cadillac and Chinese brands wait in the wings.
Mahindra was last in Australia in the late 1980s with the Bushman, but the importers went broke and left buyers stranded. The Indian company now realises it has to regain the faith of Australian car buyers.
It is certainly well placed to launch an assault on our market, as it is on markets around the world.
Mahindra now has manufacturing plants in five countries and is selling vehicles in South Africa, Europe and Malaysia.
In April it tackled the biggest market in the world, the US, with three models. And now the company has set its sights on Australia.
In a move which showed the importance of the occasion, automotive sector president Dr Pawan Goenka attended the national launch of the Pik-Up at Bowral, southwest of Sydney last week.
Recently named "Man of the Year" by India's Autocar Professional Magazine, Dr Goenka said Mahindra was investing in the future.
"We will spend more money on research and development in the coming years than we have spent in the previous 60," he said.
Mahindra vehicles will be imported in Australia by TMI Pacific which is owned by the Tynan family of Sydney.
Chairman Michael Tynan began selling Mazdas in 1966 and now operates five dealerships selling 11 different brands.
Tynan, who is also deputy president of the NRMA, said they had previous import experience in the boating industry, but this was their first car importing venture.
TMI Pacific has spent $5 million over two years in testing, market research and securing ADR compliance for the Mahindra product.
He said their research showed country of origin would have little to no impact, at least on rural consumers.
He said they took the Pik-Up to field days in Orange in country NSW last year and had no adverse comments about its Indian origin.
"As we suspected, given the diverse origins of vehicles in Australia generally, the Mahindra's Indian roots seem to be of least concern," he said.
Like China, India is a powerhouse economy, well poised to pounce on the international automotive industry.
It is the fourth largest economy in the world based on gross domestic product and has 9 per cent annual economic growth.
Its car industry has experienced 8 per cent growth in the past three years and 30 per cent export growth in the past five years, although that has been off a low base.
Other car companies, such as Suzuki, have manufacturing plants in India producing cars mainly for the domestic market.
Mahindra also has entered joint ventures with Renault to produce the Logan small car for the Indian market and International to produce trucks.
Mahindra has 67 per cent market share of the local pick-up market and 40 per cent share of the SUV market.
With two new plants in India expected to boost annual production to a million cars within five years, it is no wonder Mahindra is looking to sell its vehicles on the world market.
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