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By
EWAN KENNEDY
11 June 2007
When you learn that the Mahindra company in India began by
assembling Willys Jeeps in 1945 and is today the world’s fourth
largest maker of tractors, it gives you some idea what it is all about.
Making no-nonsense vehicles for buyers more interested in value than in
fancy frills. Which is exactly what you get when you buy one of the
just-released Mahindra Pik Up utes.
The boss of the Mahindra importation company, TMI
Pacific, is Sydney automotive retail legend Michael Tynan. He
makes no bones about these utes, "If you want something that’s
soft and pretty, you had better look elsewhere" he says with
a smile, "but if you want a tough working vehicle at a
reasonable price then a Mahindra Pik Up may be just the thing for
you".
Pricing is impressive for a vehicle of this size
with a larger than average cabin and load tray. The recommended
retail list begins at $23,990 for a 2WD single-cab with a tray
back, the same vehicle with 4WD costs $26,990. The double-cab
comes in at $25,990 in with 2WD and $29,990 when it’s a 4WD.
Equipment levels are reasonably high, with air
conditioning, power windows, central locking and an audio system
that can handle MP3 music and has an iPod connecting jack.
However, the door mirrors have to be adjusted manually and there
are no airbags.
All versions of the Mahindra Pik Up are powered by
a modern 2.5-litre intercooled, common-rail, turbo-diesel engine
producing 79 kW. Torque is nothing special at 247 Nm between 1800
and 2200 rpm, but the engine feels stronger on the road than these
figures suggest. More about our first road test in a moment.
If you don’t want a five-speed manual gearbox
then you are out of luck.
The introduction of this Indian vehicle to
Australia was an occasion of great importance for the Indian
automotive company. The Indian Consul General to Australia, Sujan
Chinoy, attended the media launch, as did several high level
officials from Mahindra, including the president of the automotive
division Dr. Pawan Goenko
On-road the Mahindra Pik Up is definitely of the
old school. We spent about an hour behind the wheel of a
double-cab 4WD, most of that time in off-road conditions. We had
three big Aussie blokes and a slim Indian gentleman in the cab and
all had room to move, with headroom being particularly impressive.
Room for decent sized Aussie Akubras in there.
The rear seat is set at a comfortable angle and
the Pik Up could certainly be used by a family car.
The turbo-diesel engine pulls strongly and is more
than happy to pull at anything more than 1500 revs, and feeling
particularly sweet in the 1800 to 2500 rpm range. It all starts to
get a bit frantic by the time you reach 3500 rpm, but that’s in
keeping with the rest of the vehicle so probably shouldn’t be
criticised.
The gearbox in our test vehicle was a cranky unit,
sometimes refusing to go from second to third unless treated with
a great deal of respect. Perhaps this was a one-off, we will carry
out a full test later in our home territory.
Ride comfort could be a lot better. The Pik Up
really is a blast from the past, with a harsh, bouncy rear end
that wasn’t tamed by having a fair load of hay in the tray.
Heaven knows what a single-cab with nothing in the back will feel
like.
This is not the sort of vehicle you would choose
for a long trip. But don’t look at the comfort, feel the price…
Mahindra Pik Up is on sale in Australia now. But
at this stage only in New South Wales, through two dealers in
outer Sydney suburbs and others in major country towns. Within
three months sales are expected to begin in Queensland and
Victoria, with other Australian states to follow in less than a
year.
Warranty is for three years or 100,000 km
whichever comes first and buyers get free roadside assistance for
the first year of ownership.
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Marque Publishing Company
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