It's rough, it's tough but that's just how it was designed to be. Of course, in top S11 spec level it adds many luxury touches to the mix as well. It may not win the bakkie beauty contest but it leaves you in no doubt as to it's toughness.
The Mahindra Pik Up has been around for a long time now, so it's a familiar sight on our roads and even more on farms around the country. The large upright cab provides plenty of headroom for tall passengers and I personally like the low window line that allows me to drive with my elbow on the sill!.
All versions of the Pik Up are powered by the proven M-Hawk 2.2L 4 cylinder turbodiesel motor providing 103kW and 320Nm to the rear wheels in normal driving through a 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox in S11 units. S10 units have the same specifications with a 6 speed manual gearbox. 4 Wheel drive is engaged at the twist of a knob alongside the gear shifter allowing 4H or 4L as needed.
I attended the launch of the automatic versions early in 2020 and you will find videos from that event on our you-tube channel. Incidentally, South Africa was actually the world premiere of the automatic versions of the Pik Up.
Having experienced the off-road capabilities at the launch, we didn't use them at all on this test but concentrated on urban driving and freeway cruising instead.
During a road-trip to a nature reserve, we cruised in comfort at 120km/h with the engine spinning at a very low 2000revs, making for pleasant cruising ability. Slow travel through the reserve was relaxed and I never noticed the gearbox hunting between gears at any time, even when travelling at around 40kph. In all circumstances, the shifts are smooth and easy, remembering that this is not the type of vehicle to be hurried in any case.
Standard features on S11 versions include leather upholstery, 2 airbags, air-conditioning, infotainment touchscreen with navigation and a reverse camera. Although this is a large vehicle, the very large turning circle does make parking maneuvers very awkward.
Overall fuel consumption for the test period was under 8 l/100km. I consider this to be a superb result for a vehicle of this type. With a 80l tank, a range of 1000km can be achieved on a tank.
The Pik Up load area is a bit smaller than some competitors but the sides appear to be higher than most. The Double cab versions are rated to carry 995kg although I did not test it with a load on this test.
Overall, the Mahindra is priced in the bargain/ value category of bakkies in SA and this makes it a superb value proposition whether it be for work, family or leisure use. The S11 top spec level allows it to compete at all these levels.
With the double cab versions priced from R327 499 to R421 999 as tested including a 5 year/ 90 000km service plan, I consider this to be fantastic value for money.
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30 мар 2021
