LISTEN: New Mahindra bakkie takes fight to Hilux, Ranger and Isuzu

Although details are still largely sketchy around the Mahindra bakkie, the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max should take notice.

Listen to Pitstop podcast

In this week’s edition of the Pitstop podcast, The Citizen Motoring‘s Jaco van der Merwe and Charl Bosch discuss the new bakkie. Called the Mahindra Global Pik Up, the bakkie made its first debut in concept form this month.

The new Mahindra bakkie will take its place alongside the work-orientated Bolero and the current Pik Up.

The Pik Up has enjoyed huge local sales success over the last two years. It has outsold the rest of the crowd not at the top table occupied by the Hilux, Ranger and D-Max.

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Step up from Mahindra Pik Up

While the final product is expected to feature less off-road paraphernalia than the concept bakkie, the model paraded in Cape Town did confirm what was largely expected. The new bakkie’s frontal design will indeed borrow heavily from the Mahindra Scorpio-N. The Scorpio-N, that replaced the Scorpio earlier this year, will share its platform with the new bakkie.

A distinctive feature of the front end is Mahindra’s new Twin Peaks logo.

The Scorpio-N moved the goalposts not only in exterior design, but also in terms of a modern cabin from the Scorpio. The same is expected when the new bakkie arrives. The Pik Up’s cabin is dated and a modern layout will be welcomed in the fight against the top dogs.

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More details to follow

It is likely that the Mahindra Global Pik Up will be powered by the trusty 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine. This mill also serves on the Mahindra Scorpio-N and Pik Up.

But local bakkie buyers will have to wait until at least 2025 before the new bakkie will be sold locally. More details – like its name – is expected by next year before it will go into production in 2025.