Full History of Mahindra’s Toyota Fortuner Rival

Mahindra’s attempt to create a Toyota Fortuner rival has been etched in history forever. Yes, I am talking about the Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton. You might still find this large SUV on the roads. However, it never really achieved the kind of success Mahindra would’ve wanted. We have seen how difficult it is to create a worthy rival to the Toyota Fortuner in our market. Only the Ford Endeavour has been able to do it successfully in India. But now that Ford no longer makes cars in India, Fortuner is again reigning supreme. Let us take a look at the brief history of Rexton.

History of Mahindra’s Toyota Fortuner

This video comes from carversal on YouTube. The host takes us back to 1991 when Ssangyong first struck a deal with Mercedes-Benz. Together, they developed an SUV for the Korean market. However, it was not that successful. Thereafter, there was a sporty version launched in Europe as well. But there was still not much impact. Fast forward to 2010, Ssangyong was on the brink of bankruptcy. Mahindra bought the compact for $225 million. That is when the Rexton W came into existence in our market in 2012.

Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton

Ever since the partnership with Mercedes-Benz, the design inspiration for the overall silhouette of the SUV, the front grille section and the side profile has been apparent. That is what attracted the customers initially when it was launched in India in 2012. It offered premium features, a powerful engine, convenient transmission in comparison to the mighty Toyota Fortuner. As a result, the buyers were attracted to it. However, due to some issues with the manual transmission and people still not convinced enough to spend close to Rs 25 lakh on a Mahindra, its popularity waned. Finally, after 5 years, Mahindra was offering discounts worth upto Rs 10 lakh to clear the stock after the arrival of the new-gen model.

Mahindra Alturas

This new-gen model of the Rexton came into existence at the Paris Motor Show in 2017 and was launched as Mahindra Alturas in November 2018. It offered some premium interiors with the latest tech and convenience features. That was a real shot at taking on the Fortuner in our market. However, after a run of 4 years, the Indian auto giant decided to pull the plug on the Alturas as well. Currently, the XUV700 is the flagship model in the Mahindra lineup. The Alturas again struggled with the lack of brand value compared to Toyota Fortuner. People were reluctant to spend over Rs 35 lakh on a Mahindra car. That’s why, the entire lifecycle of the Ssangyong Rexton was full of ordeals and failures.

Author’s Note

As an automobile enthusiast, I understand the complications with this model. There are tons of attempts by various carmakers to create special vehicles. In a bid to do that, they often strike co-operations with larger and more valuable car marques. However, the results can never be fully predicted. In fact, there is no car company in the world that hasn’t delivered multiple failed products. That is a part and parcel of the business. The key is to learn from the mistakes and implement the solutions in the next cars. That is what makes Mahindra one of the most successful carmakers in the country today.

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Full History of Mahindra’s Toyota Fortuner Rival – VIDEO

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