The Mitsubishi L200 pickup truck is popular in just about every market except for North America. With recent sightings, it’s possible that local waters are being tested for the Mitsubishi L200 diesel to be sold in the United States. If that is the case, it may be a game changer for Mitsubishi and the local small truck market.
Here’s the interesting part: a local friend pointed out that he saw one testing in Colorado with a diesel engine from Mahindra. That’s not the first time I’ve heard of Mitsubishi testing Mahindra engines here either. In fact: Mahindra was testing their diesel pickup trucks at high altitude up to a few years ago when they pulled the plug on North American development.
Add this to the mix: Mahindra and Mitsubishi signed an agreement for joint development way back in 2010. Granted, it was for agricultural equipment development: “Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, India’s largest manufacturer of tractors and farm equipment, has signed a technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Agriculture Machines Co. Ltd to for agricultural machinery technology that will give the Indian firm crop specific solution.” – – Livemint/WSJ
Still, it IS an agreement and it’s possible that, with all of Mahindra’s collected testing data in the United States, Mitsubishi could cut years and millions off of development of a diesel that is U.S. compliant. If nothing else, it’s an intriguing prospect.
Speaking of a small diesel pickup truck in the United States…
