The new Mahindra Global Pik Up bakkie has been showcased in Cape Town, which signals that the Indian brand intends to introduce a lifestyle-oriented bakkie soon.
According to the local sales figures produced by Naamsa, Mahindra was the fastest-growing brand in SA in 2022. A lot of that growth came in the bakkie segment, where its locally-assembled Pik Up showed a massive increase in the entry-level double cab segment with the Karoo variant. The brand sees a lot of potential in this market and now has plans to take on the lifestyle brand with its yet-to-be-named bakkie.
The new bakkie currently goes by the name Global Pik Up, but Mahindra is still looking for a local name for it when it comes to production. It is also looking for suggestions if anyone feels up to naming a new Mahindra bakkie.
The underpinnings of the Global Pik Up are based on a new-generation ladder frame, but by the time it comes to market, the chassis is likely to be entirely different to the one that currently does duty in the local Pik Up Karoo. For a start, it will have a longer wheelbase and feature much stiffer steel.
Veejay Nakra, the president of the automotive sector at Mahindra, said: “The new Global Pik Up marks a significant step in Mahindra’s Go-Global Strategy. This robust and Tough vehicle, engineered with cutting-edge Technology, is not only Versatile and Capable but also meets high standards of Safety.
“Our move with the Global Pik Up is poised to not only reinforce our presence in existing markets but also pave the way to new frontiers. It stands as an embodiment of what we aim to offer, an invitation to Live Unlimited, Explore Boundlessly, and Embrace Freedom,” he added.
There is no set date yet for when we are likely to see this new lifestyle bakkie in production, but a rough estimate would be towards the end of 2024 or in 2025. Mahindra did state that the new Global Pik Up would use the current 2.2-litre turbodiesel M-Hawk engine currently available in the local Pik Up.
That engine is capable of 129 kW and 400 Nm of torque. While the brand clearly wants to move the new bakkie into the lifestyle segment, it has no plans to take on the models right at the top of the range such as the Ford Ranger V6 or the Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Legend. It will target the lower end or middle of this vital segment to pilfer sales from models such as the GWM P-Series or 2.0-litre Ford Ranger variants.
The new Global Pik Up will feature some very modern tech, with Mahindra looking to incorporate level 2 semi-autonomous features into the production model. Those are features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic parking, collision-avoiding braking, as well as lane departure- and lane centring tech.
The interior looks to incorporate modern features with a large touchscreen in the centre and an analogue instrument cluster; while this may not sound groundbreaking, it should be a highly capable system when launched. You can also expect the quality of the audio to be excellent – Mahindra has teamed up with vehicle audio specialists Harmon to build a bespoke Harmon/Kardon sound system for the Pik Up.
For now, the Mahindra Global Pik Up is just a concept, but the vehicle depicted in these images is said to be extremely close to what the final production car will look like, minus a few of the flashy add-ons, such as the dual spare wheels in the load bay, for example.
Mahindra has also said that it would certainly be looking at leveraging its production capabilities in KwaZulu-Natal to possibly assemble or produce the new model, although that decision will only be made once the model (still under development) is closer to going into production. Look out for further updates!
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Original Story by www.cars.co.za
