Centurion, July 19, 2022: Building on the momentum created by its new “Twin Peak” brand identity and its brand positioning of “Unleash The Explorer In You”, Mahindra has expanded its dynamic range of new Authentic Bakkies with three new special edition Pik Up models.
The three special new Pik Up models further expand on the locally designed Karoo range. They signify the authenticity of an honest brand that is designed around the core need of customers who need reliable and capable bakkies that enable them to explore even the toughest terrain.
Christened the Pik Up Karoo Dusk, Karoo Dawn and Karoo Storm, the new models will offer many of the same features that made the first edition Karoo Dusk a sell-out success and will also offer several new features, including an all-leather interior and custom paint colours.
The new range is designed to enhance the abilities of the Pik Up to allow customers to pursue the most challenging terrain and to unleash the explorer in them in the most rewarding way.
“The Karoo nameplate signifies our commitment to South Africa and the way South Africans have adopted the Pik Up lifestyle range as their desire to ‘Unleash The Explorer in You’ and enjoy the adventure and family fun. This is equally true of our new Karoo Dawn, Dusk and Storm models, and we are very excited to showcase our range of Authentic Bakkies to our fans,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
Mahindra South Africa recently celebrated the ten-thousandth Pik Up to roll off its assembly facility in Durban. The growth in production underscores the popularity of the Pik Up range, which has been one of the fastest growing bakkie brands in the last five years, thanks in no small part to its combination of reliability and capability.
Upgraded Karoo specification as standard
All three special edition models are built on the upgraded Pik Up Karoo platform.
Mahindra has upgraded the Karoo range to now feature new decals as standard. Ditto the branded Karoo interior carpets, a nudge bar and load bin-mounted sports bar with Karoo detailing.
For this range of special Pik Up models, Mahindra has upgraded the cloth seats to leather upholstery and have bumped up the infotainment system from a 7” to a large HD 9” system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and in-built maps.
Rugged and refined
Building on the successful recipe of the previous Karoo Dusk, all three special Karoo models will be fitted with a heavy-duty off-road suspension, off-road tyres and hardened 4×4 rims, including an additional off-road rim for the spare wheel.
All models will also have front and rear steel bumpers for better off-road clearance. The bumpers are securely anchored to the chassis and offer recovery and hitching points for off-road use. In addition, the rear step has been trimmed with non-slip diamond plating for ease of access to the load bin, and the front bumper is fitted with special LED driving lights.
All special edition models also have rubberised load bins and rear overfenders that give the bakkie a purposeful stance and clearly differentiate each special edition model from its siblings.
Karoo Dusk
This special edition, which was sold in limited numbers last year, is inspired by the pitch-dark night that one only experiences in a desert and by the many nocturnal creatures that turn the seemingly desolate Karoo into a symphony of life as the sun sets.
Using the Karoo dusk and nightfall as visual inspiration, Mahindra has painted the Karoo Dusk black and finished it with black and blue Karoo decals.
The Mahindra designers further finished the sports bar and roller shutter door fitted to the rubberised load bin in pitch black and added a longer sports bar to the front approach bumper.
Karoo Dawn
The Karoo Dawn is a new addition to the range and is finished in a sandy beige colour that is popular among farmers and overland enthusiasts.
This model finds its inspiration in the colours of the early Karoo mornings, as the world starts finding shape in the first light of dawn, with the glistening of fresh dew and the knowledge that the searing desert heat is only a few hours away.
Mahindra tasked its designers to capture the colours of the desert in early morning in the design of the Karoo Dawn, leading to the unique body colour and the rich orange highlights in the Karoo decals.
The Mahindra Karoo Dawn has all the same features of the Karoo Dusk, with the exception of the roller shutter door and long sports bar. Instead, it adds an additional heavy-duty roof rack and flush mounted tonneau cover as standard.
Karoo Storm
The third and final special edition version of the Karoo is the Karoo Storm.
This model is inspired by the stunning and rare Karoo rainstorms. Mahindra’s designers took their inspiration from similarly named poems, which richly capture the sudden unrest in the Karoo desert as the clouds build, the changing colour of the sky, the way in which windmills start spinning wildly and the thunder cracks to announce an oncoming storm.
They also referenced the smell of wet desert soil and the eery calm that follows the quick but violent desert downpour.
To celebrate the special experience of living through a Karoo storm, Mahindra has finished the Pik Up Karoo Storm in a unique light blue hue that is perfectly accentuated by a black-and-grey Karoo decal set.
Like its siblings, it has a factory-fitted approach and departure bumper, a rubberised load bay, tonneau cover and special off-road rims and tyres. The Karoo Storm also has a full leather interior as standard, and it has the same hardy rubber mats that are standard across the special Karoo range.
Automatic available
All Karoo and Karoo Special Edition models are fitted with Mahindra’s mHawk 2.2 turbodiesel engine. The engine delivers 103 kW at 3 750 rpm and a solid 320 Nm of torque in a wide power band between 1 500 r/min and 2 800 r/min.
In the Special Edition models, buyers are treated to the new six-speed Aisin automatic transmission, making it the perfect stand-out bakkie for every type of user. This transmission was extensively tested in South Africa before its global launch on the Pik Up Karoo S11 in 2020.
All Karoo Dusk, Karoo Storm and Karoo Dawn models are sold with a 4-year/120 000 km mechanical warranty and 5-year/90 000 km service plan.
