Mahindra Global Pik Up details emerge but reveal still a ways to go

Showcased as a concept in Cape Town as part of India’s Independence Day celebrations held in former Commonwealth countries in August, Mahindra has released more details of the incoming Global Pik Up bakkie ahead of its anticipated world debut in 2025.

New platform

The step-up from the current Scorpio-based Pik Up that debuted 17 years ago, and which will continue to be made as part of a three-model bakkie strategy including the “entry-point” Bolero, the Global Pik Up borrows styling from the Scorpio-N, but will ride on a bespoke body-on-frame platform while deriving motivation from the 2.2 mHawk turbodiesel engine.

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Addressing Australian media at Mahindra’s research and development centre in Chennai at the end of last month, Product Development and Technology President, R Velusamy, said while the Global Pik Up’s visual similarities with the Scorpio-N will be carried over into the production model to an extent, its architecture will be new and not simply revised as believed until now.

“They have a different wheelbase, a suspension architecture, different front and rear overhangs,” carexpert.com.au quoted him as saying.

No upsizing up front or Raptor rival

Asked about the choice of engines, which at the launch of the concept was said to be no greater than the mHawk in displacement, Velusamy admitted it could extract more torque from the unit that currently produces 128kW/400Nm in its powerful state of tune in higher-end versions of the Scorpio-N.

According to the publication, the executive said two-year evolution of the original mHawk is “capable of 450 Nm” regardless of being mated to Mahindra’s own or the Aisin sourced six-speed automatic gearbox.

In other markets, the Global Pik Up will potentially be equipped with the turbocharged 2.0 mStallion petrol engine from the XUV 700, as well as a six-speed manual transmission.

Despite the roll-out of the South African-market only Karoo versions of the current Pik Up, Velusamy said Mahindra won’t be drawn into producing so-called “sport versions” of the Global Pik Up similar to the Ford Ranger Raptor and Toyota Hilux GR Sport.

“We do not get into those specialised variants like Raptors and we want to play into the value segments, or the high volume segments anyway,” Velusamy told the publication.

In a related interview with drive.com.au, he added that a 3 500 kg towing capacity will be standard across all models, and that in addition to the previewed double cab, Mahindra will be introducing a single cab as well as a cab-an-a-half bodystyle once production starts.

Clock is ticking

While set to be unveiled in 2025, sales, as per a report from June this year, will only commence in 2026 for Australia, with Velusamy attributing this to the stringent Australian NCAP crash requirements.

It remains unknown though if the year in question applies to other exports markets, including South Africa where production of the current Pik Up takes place.

Known internally as the Z121, the Global Pik Up will reportedly also come with significant upgrades in technology over the current Pik Up inside, though no exact details were divulged by Velusamy.

Still shrouded in speculation, expectations are Mahindra will reveal more details in 2024 before starting the production model’s teaser campaign and ultimate reveal in 2025.

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