New Mahindra Karoo Special Edition Bakkies
Considering the competitive nature of South Africa’s bakkie segment, standing out and staying relevant can be challenging. However, the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo seems to have the right recipe as the carmaker is introducing three special editions to extend its local range of tough, reliable and affordable bakkies.
Mahindra has taken inspiration from the spectacular Karoo landscape to create limited-edition vehicles. The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DUSK, Karoo DAWN, and Karoo STORM vehicles are designed to convey the quality of an authentic brand built around the fundamental needs of consumers who need dependable and capable bakkies that allow them to explore even the toughest terrain.
The impressive and highly popular Mahindra Pik Up Karoo deserves all the praise, especially since the locally designed bakkie in Durban has seen impressive sales figures. They’ve also recently rolled out the 10,000th vehicle which shows a significant growth in production as a result of the vehicle’s popularity.
In fact, the Mahindra Pik Up has been one of the fastest-growing bakkie brands in the last five years largely due to the combination of reliability and capability.
What’s New On The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo Special Edition?
All three special edition models share the underpinnings of the upgraded Mahindra Pik Up Karoo platform. The Karoo range now features new decals as standard, branded Karoo interior carpets, a nudge bar and a load bin-mounted sports bar with special Karoo detailing.
The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DUSK, Karoo DAWN and Karoo STORM offer many of the same features that made the first edition such a success. But, they’ve added several new features, including an all-leather interior, custom paint colours, an upgraded HD 9″ infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and built-in maps.
When it comes to ruggedness and overall refinement, all three special Mahindra Pik Up Karoo models get the following:
- Heavy-duty off-road suspension
- Off-road tyres and hardened 4×4 rims (including one for the spare wheel)
- Front and rear steel bumpers for better off-road clearance
- Front bumper with special LED driving lights
- Bumpers are securely anchored to the chassis with recovery and hitching points
- Rear step with non-slip diamond plating
- Rubberised load bins
- Rear over-fenders
All of these features give the bakkie a purposeful, aggressive stance while clearly differentiating each special edition model from the rest of the line-up.
What About The Interior?
All of the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo special editions have the same stylish, modern and comfortable interior with leather seats and many other features, including the following:
- Touchscreen infotainment system with reverse camera
- Bluetooth phone connectivity
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability
- Cruise control
- Climate control
- Multi-function steering wheel
- Power Steering
- Electric windows
- Central locking
- 12V Charging Points – Front and Rear
- Rain Sensing Windscreen Wipers
- Follow Me Home Headlamps
- Light Sensing Headlamps
- Static Bending Headlamps
- One Touch Lane Change Indicator
- Remote Fuel Cap (Electrically Operated)
- Puddle lamps
- Armrest for Driver and Co-Driver
Power, Performance and Safety
The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo special editions are generously powered by the legendary 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder mHawk turbodiesel engine delivering 103 kW and 320 Nm of torque through a six-speed automatic gearbox. Not only does it offer a sense of reliability second to none but it provides effortless acceleration and all the power you need for on-road and off-road credentials performance.
For its size, the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo special editions provide a respectable combined fuel economy of 9.3L/100km. Payload capacity is right up there at 995 kg while the braked towing capacity is 2,500kg and 750kg unbraked. With ground clearance of 210mm and generous approach, departure and break-over angles, these off-roaders are seriously impressive.
In terms of safety, all three Karoo models benefit from ABS, EBD, driver and passenger airbags, autolocking doors, side impact protection bars, collapsible steering column and Isofix Child Seat Anchors. Here is a brief summary of each special edition.
Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DUSK
The new and improved Karoo DUSK model is inspired by the pitch-black nights you can only experience in a desert setting. With the Karoo DUSK and nightfall as visual inspiration, Mahindra wrapped the Karoo DUSK in a matt black film and finished off with black and blue Karoo decals.
One of the standout offroad features of the Pik Up Karoo DUSK is the uprated suspension system. It includes heavy-duty gas-filled offroad shock absorbers, heavy-duty, custom leaf springs and new suspension bushes which all contribute to exceptional performance on tough terrain.
The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DUSK has a colour-coded sports bar on the load bin, side-mounted steel steps, over fenders and a roller shutter to keep your sporting equipment, fishing or camping gear safe and secure.
Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DAWN
The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DAWN is the first of the new additions to the range. Taking inspiration from the glorious colours of early Karoo mornings, it’s finished in a sandy beige colour that is popular among farmers and those looking to explore the road less travelled.
Mahindra’s designers captured the colours of the desert beautifully; leading to the unique body colour and the rich orange highlights in the special Karoo decals. The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DAWN shares all the same features as the Karoo DUSK, except for the roller shutter door and long sports bar. Instead, they’ve added an additional heavy-duty roof rack and flush-mounted tonneau cover.
Mahindra Pik Up Karoo STORM
The third special edition is the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo STORM which was inspired by the stunningly beautiful, and rare, Karoo rainSTORMs and similarly named poems. This model captures the sudden change in the Karoo desert with clouds building and the sky changing colour indicating that a STORM is coming.
To visualise the special experience of being in a Karoo STORM, Mahindra finished the Pik Up Karoo STORM in a unique light blue hue. By referencing the smell of wet desert soil and the calmness that follows a quick and violent downpour, it is perfectly accentuated by the black-and-grey Karoo decals.
It too has a factory-fitted approach and departure bumper, a rubberised load bay, tonneau cover and special off-road rims and tyres but no roof racks. The Mahindra Pik Up Karoo STORM also gets a full leather interior and tough-as-nails rubber mats.
Final Thoughts: Mahindra’s Special Edition Pik Ups
Whether you’re a farmer, builder, experienced off-road warrior or a weekend overland adventurer, the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo special editions are up to the task. Here is what Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa had to say:
“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.”
If you would like to find out more about the Mahindra Pik-Up Karoo special editions or to book a test drive, please contact Group1 Mahindra in Midrand or Kuils River.
