Mahindra & Mahindra today launched the hot selling Scorpio in Chile in partnership with the Fortaleza of the Automotores Gildemeister Group. This is Mahindra’s second product launch in Chile after the launch of Mahindra Pik Up Double Cab in July 2007.

The Automotores Gildemeister group is one of Latin America’s most respected business houses with interests in Automobiles, Construction, Agricultuture and Industrial Equipment. The group already represents Hyundai and Ford in Chile.

“The Mahindra brand is already well-known in Chile and the launch of the Scorpio will only help us further consolidate our presence in the region. We are also happy to extend our association with Automotores Gildemeister whose extensive national network will give us a definite competitive edge in the Chilean market which is highly evolved and of great importance to Mahindra,” said Mr. Pravin Shah, Executive Vice  President ,  Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. at the launch.

“The response to the launch of the Mahindra Double Cab in Chile has been very good. With its unique combination of ruggedness, reliability and style, the Mahindra Scorpio SUV offers a strong value proposition and is sure to emerge as the diesel offroader of choice in the Chilean market. We are  glad to renew our partnership with Mahindra which is recognized the world over as a leading auto brand,” said Mr. Ricardo Lessmann, President & CEO , Automotores Gildemeister.

Jump over for the full press release.

 Here’s the full Press Release:
Mahindra launches Scorpio SUV in Chile

Santiago, April 23 2008: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), one of India’s leading auto brands with a growing global presence, today announced the launch of the Mahindra Scorpio SUV in Chile, in partnership with Fortaleza of the Automotores Gildemeister Group. This is Mahindra’s second product launch in Chile, after the launch of the Mahindra Pik Up Double Cab in July 2007.

“The Mahindra brand is already well-known in Chile and the launch of the Scorpio will only help us further consolidate our presence in the region. We are also happy to extend our association with Automotores Gildemeister whose extensive national network will give us a definite competitive edge in the Chilean market which is highly evolved and of great importance to Mahindra,” said Mr. Pravin Shah, Executive Vice  President ,  Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. at the launch.

“The response to the launch of the Mahindra Double Cab in Chile has been very good. With its unique combination of ruggedness, reliability and style, the Mahindra Scorpio SUV offers a strong value proposition and is sure to emerge as the diesel offroader of choice in the Chilean market. We are  glad to renew our partnership with Mahindra which is recognized the world over as a leading auto brand,” said Mr. Ricardo Lessmann, President & CEO , Automotores Gildemeister.

Automotores Gildemeister is the Chilean arm of the Gildemeister Group, one of Latin America’s most respected business houses with interests in automobiles, construction, agriculture and industrial equipment. In addition to representing Mahindra, Automotores Gildemeister also represents Hyundai and Ford in Chile. The Group also imports and distributes its vehicles in Peru via its Peruvian arm, MANASA. Besides Mahindra, MANASA is a distributor for several other global auto brands including Ford, Mazda and Volvo.

Since its launch, the Mahindra Scorpio has not only emerged as the leader in the UV (Utility Vehicle) segment in India but has also won widespread industry acclaim. It has also won several prestigious awards from the automotive media, including the CNBC Autocar Car of the Year Award, BBC Wheels Best SUV of the Year and Best Car of the Year awards and the BS Motoring Car of the Year Award.

Mahindra & Mahindra has been growing in stature as an international automotive major. Today, M&M has a global footprint with  presence in major markets including Africa, South Asia, Middle East, Europe – where the Mahindra Scorpio is known as Mahindra Goa. In South America, in addition to Chile and Peru, Mahindra is present in Brazil and Uruguay. Over the past year, the Mahindra Scorpio has been successfully launched in several markets, including Australia, Turkey and Ghana. In January, Mahindra commenced assembly operations of  the Scorpio SUV in Egypt and Brazil. As part of its growing global footprint, one of India’s favourite SUVs is poised to take on the most challenging market, the USA, in 2009.

About The Mahindra Group
The US $6 billion Mahindra Group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top three tractor brands in the world. Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector has recently won the Japan Quality Medal, the only tractor company worldwide to be bestowed this honour. It also holds the distinction of being the only tractor company worldwide to win the Deming Prize.

Mahindra is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India. It made a milestone entry into the Indian passenger car market with the Logan .
The Group has a leading presence in key sectors of the Indian economy, including the financial services, trade and logistics, automotive components, information technology, and infrastructure development.
 With over 62 years of manufacturing experience, the Mahindra Group has built a strong base in technology, engineering, marketing and distribution which are key to its evolution as a customer-centric organization. The Group employs over 50,000 people and has several state-of-the-art facilities in India and overseas.
The Mahindra Group has ambitious global aspirations and has a presence on five continents.. M&M has one tractor manufacturing plant in China, three assembly plants in the United States and one at Brisbane, Australia. It has made strategic acquisitions across the globe including Stokes Forgings (UK), Jeco Holding AG (Germany) and Schoneweiss & Co GmbH (Germany). Its global subsidiaries include Mahindra Europe Srl. based in Italy, Mahindra USA Inc. and Mahindra South Africa.
M&M has entered into partnerships with international companies like Renault SA, France, and International Truck and Engine Corporation, USA. Forbes has ranked the Mahindra Group in its Top 200 list of the World’s Most Reputable Companies and in the Top 10 list of Most Reputable Indian companies. Mahindra has recently been honoured with the Bombay Chamber Good Corporate Citizen Award for 2006-07.

About Gildemeister Group

The Gildemeister Group started business in Latin America in the 19th century and opened offices in Lima (Peru) in 1834 and in Iquique (Chile) in 1854 . The Group is an important importer and distributor of vehicles . A reputed conglomerate with diversified interests in automobiles (Automobiles Gildemeister - Distributor Hyundai and Manasa – distributor for Ford vehicles, Carmeister - Used Vehicles, Finmeister- Financing and  Insurance, RTC - After Market Parts) and Maquinarias Gildemeister -Capital Goods and Cofrima - Supermarkets.

Fortaleza S.A. is subsidiary of  the Gildemeister Group and handles Mahindra Business in Chile. Given the Gildemeisters Group’s understanding of the market and extensive network, the strategy deployed for Mahindra incorporates efficient management of orders and inventory, high quality service and operating own branches throughout the country in order to ensure a high sales & service standard.