Driveaway pricing announced for Mahindra Genio

INDIAN car-maker Mahindra has revealed the updated version of its tradie-oriented Genio ute range, which retains the outgoing model's starting price of $19,990 driveaway.

That kick-off price is for the single-cab 4x2 variant, and is trumped only by its Pik-Up stablemate ($18,990 driveaway) for the title of cheapest ute on sale in Australia.

Offered in single- or dual-cab variants with the choice of two- or four-wheel drive, the Genio uses a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel mHAWK engine good for a modest 88kW/280Nm, paired to a five-speed manual transmission.

Mahindra does not offer an automatic transmission as an option.

Marketed as a vehicle for tradespeople, the Genio comes with a 1260kg payload for the single-cab 4x2 and 1100kg for the dual-cab with an extra 100kg shaved off for 4x4 variants, giving the vehicle a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 2980kg.

The alloy tray used in the cab-chassis comes from Queensland manufacturer Triple MMM and has dimensions of 2700mm x 1777mm for the single-cab and 1950mm x 1777mm for the dual-cab.

The Genio suspension employs a double-wishbone, front independent design with coil springs, while at the back semi-elliptical multi-leaf springs are used.

Stopping power comes from disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.

The Indian car-maker claims its cabin is one of the most spacious in its class, achieved by minimising engine intrusion into the passenger compartment thanks to a compact frontal design.

Safety features include SRS airbags for the driver and front passenger, side intrusion beams in the door construction, crash protection and crumple zones, a collapsible steering column and ABS braking.

The Genio is yet to be tested for crash safety by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, while its Pik-Up and XUV500 stablemates have achieved three and four-star ANCAP safety ratings, respectively.

Other features include air-conditioning, power steering, central locking, cruise control, power windows and steering wheel controls as standard, with a Bluetooth phone accessory as an option.

Mahindra Automotive Australia national sales manager Russell Thiele said he hoped the Genio would appeal to buyers looking for an attractively priced option, particularly tradespeople.

“The 2016 Genio really holds its own against competitors by setting out to provide functionality and practicality in a cost affordable overall package,” he said.

“With the best in class interior space and high-level of standard equipment the Genio looks set to become a firm favourite with Aussie tradies.”

Mahindra currently has three vehicles on the Australian market – the Genio, the Pik-Up utility and the XUV500 SUV.

2016 Mahindra Genio driveaway pricing

Single Cab 4x2	$19,990
Single Cab 4x4	$23,490
Dual Cab 4x2	$24,990
Dual Cab 4x4	$28,490