M&M re-enters Australia after 20 yrs

After a gap of 20 years, Indian auto maker Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is back in Australia.

"Mahindra UTES initially will be available only in New South wales but the dealer network will include Queensland within a month or two," importer Michael Tynan, who has been a car dealer for more than 40 years said, adding while dealers in other states and territories are likely to be appointed by October.

Having dabbled in the boat importing business in the 1980's, it is Tynan's first foray into car importing.

Tynan said he became involved with M&M after representatives from the company  approached him over twenty years ago. "They came knocking on my door. I'm not sure why they did, but they did," Tynan was qouated as saying in 'The Sydney Morning Herald'.

"I told them I was a car dealer, not an importer, but they were adamant that I consider representing the brand locally," he said.

Tynan admits he had concerns about the quality of Indian-made vehicles before he began talks with M&M.

"I had a perception of Indian vehicles which worried me (but representatives from Mahindra) were pretty insistent, so I had one of my senior staff go over and have a look at their cars and their factory two years ago. He rang me from there and said I should get on a plane and get over there because it wasn't as bad as we were expecting."

Mahindra UTES have not been tested by the independent crash test body, NCAP, but Tynan said he will happily donate a car to be tested and auditors can select a car randomly from his stock to ensure it is an indicative sample of a customer car.