© Kondinin Group
This article has been reproduced with permission from Farming Ahead.
For more information about Kondinin Group phone 1800 677 761.
Further duplication of this article is not permitted.
MOTORING:
ROAD TEST: UTES
Price reflects quality of new Pik-Up
Farming Ahead writer Chris Warrick reviewed the new Mahindra Pik-Up
assessing the ute’s features in the cabin and below the bonnet, as well as
driving performance.
Chris
Warrick
KONDININ GROUP
Although the new Indian-made Mahindra
Pik-Up ute is a low-cost alternative to its
mainstream counterparts, the savings made
in the pocket are generated by shortcuts in
quality and driving capability.
A cheaper option?
Summary
The Mahindra Pik-Up is not in the same class
as other comparable utes such as the Nissan
Navara, Mitsubishi Triton or Mazda BT-50
(reviewed in Farming Ahead No. 186). But for
an older driver or somebody wanting a cheap
vehicle to get from A to B, the Pik-Up could
be a suitable option.
The Mahindra Pik-up has been on the
Australian market since June 2006.
Its most outstanding feature is the price,
starting from $23,990 for the single-cabin
two-wheel-drive and $29,990 for the dualcabin four-wheel-drive model.
The ute is powered by a four-cylinder,
common rail, turbocharged diesel engine,
producing 79 kilowatts of power.
It could be driven through either a fivespeed manual or six-speed automatic
transmission with automatic front hub
Price as tested
$29,990.
18 Farming Ahead November 2007 No. 190 www.farmingahead.com.au
locks and Borg Warner electric shift on the
four-wheel-drive models.
While the price is low, it is
evident ‘you get what you
pay for’.
With an unladen weight of 2.1 tonnes
and a payload of 1t — the dual-cabin mode
— initially appeared to be well built.
But after a quick evaluation and test
drive it was evident that ‘you get what you
pay for’.
Build quality
While the bodywork and chassis are
very heavy and solid, on inspection it
appeared to have been roughly-made with
MOTORING:
ROAD TEST: UTES
Foot space: A low dashboard can catch the toes of
drivers with large-sized feet, making using foot
pedals awkward.
Door levers: Light weight plastic internal door
levers are unlikely to be durable.
Under the hood: While there were easy–to–access
service points the use of a texta to mark engine
parts indicated the vehicle was hand assembled.
uneven welds and weld splatter on the
underbody components.
A flimsy plastic engine guard was the
only underbody protection with the engine
oil sump hanging low and vulnerable.
air-conditioner vents, an adjustable steering
column and a remote-controlled CD–MP3
audio system with a USB iPod connector.
But the large revision mirrors had only
manual adjustment.
Leg room was standard in the rear for a
dual–cabin ute and average in the front.
But the low dashboard did catch the toes
of a driver with size 11 boots.
The Mahindra is imported in Australia by
TMI Pacific.
(02) 8545 8380
[email protected].
Under the bonnet
Looking under the bonnet, serviceability
was positive with easy access to filters and
service points.
Many
engine
and
underbody
components did not have barcodes or
stamped part numbers. Instead, numbers
were hand-written with a marker pen, again
raising suspicions of the quality of the the
Indian-built Mahindra.
The drive
Steering was heavy with a large turning
circle of 12.6 metres but handling was
reasonable at higher speeds on both gravel
and bitumen roads.
Suspension on the brand
new pick-up was stiff, giving
a rough ride and understeer
while cornering — especially
on gravel.
Unfortunately, most of the interior
including door handles and adjustment
levers were made of light plastic which did
not appear to be durable, particularly for an
operator who has large fingers.
Visibility from within the cabin, in all
directions, was positive with a handy
electric headlight adjustment.
CONTACT Chris Warrick
[email protected]
Flashy cabin?: While the cabin has most of
features drivers have come to expect,
unfortunately the interior contained light
plastic components such as door handles
and levers. This brings into question the
durability of the cabin interior.
A flimsy plastic engine guard
was the only underbody
protection, with the engine
oil sump hanging low
and vulnerable.
Suspension on the new pick-up was stiff,
giving a rough ride and understeer while
cornering — especially on gravel roads.
A very high seating position could be
a desired feature for a taller driver
but it gave an unsecured feeling while
cornering or travelling on rough ground at
higher speeds.
ABS brakes stopped the Pik-Up in a safe
distance but again, did not give a feeling of
security stopping from higher speeds.
Emergency braking when carrying a full
load could be difficult.
In the cabin
Features within the dual-cabin model
were satisfactory with standard electric
windows, front and rear 12-volt outlets,
front and rear interior lights, front and rear
Farming Ahead December 2007 No. 191 www.farmingahead.com.au
19