Mahindra Gets A Make Over

Indian pik-up gets a facelift and still represents good value for money.

- Matt Raudonikis

Mahindra has given its Pik-Up workhorse a mild facelift for the second part of 2020, as well as a few improvements. Most of the changes centre on the fresh frontend treatment with a new grille, headlamps, and bumper to liven up the look.

The mechanical package remains unchanged, with the four-cylinder, 2.2-litre turbo-diesel producing a modest 320Nm, and backed by a six-speed manual transmission and part-time 4WD. There is no automatic transmission offered just yet. That should be coming in 2021.

While each update to the Pik-Up adds more features and refinement, it remains a no-frills worker that represents great value for money. The S10 Dual Cab Pik-Up as tested here is available with drive-away pricing from $32,990 with the factory tub. Factor in that it comes with a five-year/100,000km warranty, five-year roadside assistance, and four-year/55,000km capped-price service program and the Mahindra is worth a look in.

POWER TRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

AS mentioned, the Pik-Up’s powertrain remains the same as the last model, and that’s not a bad thing. The Mahindra ‘mHawk’ is very flexible in the way it responds as you go though the gears, with peak torque coming on from 1600rpm. The Dana-Spicer sourced six-speed gearbox which replaced the old five-slotter two years ago, is smooth-shifting and simple to use. A minor annoyance when getting accustomed to the Pik-Up is that reverse gear is up and left beside first gear; you want to be sure of that when picking first or reverse; although, there is a beep from the dash screen when you select reverse and the camera comes on.