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Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., is proud to showcase its XUV500 G AT in the UAE, in association with the legendary Galadari Automobiles. It is a petrol variant SUV, and has been proudly launched on the eve of India's Republic Day. It is available in two variants, namely the W8 2WD and the W10 AWD. Mahindra Ltd., a part of the $19 billion Mahindra Group, now eyes the robust market of the UAE and Galadari Automobiles is there to make it a resounding success.
The XUV500 petrol is equipped with an automatic gearbox and it comes with a unique blend of style and utility, luxury and ruggedness. It is set to become a powerful drive experience on polished roads, as well as mountain terrain.
Axel Dreyer, General Manager of Galadari Automobiles, is the man behind the success story in the UAE. His decades of experience with various world-class automobile brands is a guarantee in itself for Mahindra to make new roads in the UAE market and beyond. The New Age XUV500 has been conceptualised and designed by Mahindra's in-house engineering team, incorporating the most contemporary styling, design and technology.
Excerpts of an interview with Axel Dreyer, the articulate General Manager of Galadari Automobiles:
Tell us about Galadari Automobiles' experience while working with Mahindra & Mahindra?
Galadari was very excited when Mahindra started developing vehicles for the GCC markets, which always requires specific features and technical enhancement to cope with the harsh environment. Dedicated Mahindra R&D engineers have worked closely with Galadari during the last two years to test the vehicles thoroughly here in UAE to make sure that vehicle performs perfectly in GCC markets. Mahindra is ambitious to enter new territories with new products that are coming during the next years.
How was the public response to the New Age XUV500?
In fact, we received an overwhelming positive response especially from the Indian community who appreciated that a well-established Indian automotive brand starts selling their products in the UAE.
How competitively is it priced, and what customer service features make it an indispensable choice?
Considering that the car is a seven-seater and loaded with features such as leather seats, we believe it is competitively priced.
Tell us about new Mahindra products in the offing and their specifications?
For the moment, we are having two Mahindra products, which is the XUV500 and the Scorpio Pick Up. Both of them are coming in different variants. The XUV500 is equipped with a powerful 2.2 Turbo Gasoline Engine and the Pick Up is powered by a strong 2.2 Turbo Diesel engine.
What is the role of GAL while it deals with Mazda, Mahindra and other signature products? What market characteristics/demands you foresee?
Mazda is our premium brand that is selling products in a different price range, therefore customer demographics are different and consequently there is no cannibalisation with Mahindra. We are an automotive group that is selling many automotive-related products and to ensure a sustainable growth it is crucial to have a diversified product portfolio that is serving a wide range of customer profiles. Automotive market in 2018 will remain challenging especially in Q1, but we are optimistic that it will stabilise by end of 2018.
Tell us about Mahindra's commercial vehicles and two-wheelers market sustainability in the UAE?
Historically Mahindra is very strong in their commercial vehicle line up and we are now getting the new Scorpio Pick Up with a strong Powertrain. This will be a perfect workhorse for many applications and we are confident that this new model will be a success. We are looking also into the two-wheeler market as Mahindra is offering a wider range of product that could fit to the UAE market as well.
- mehkri@khaleejtimes.com
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