In a country that is bakkie or pick up crazy, its always great to add more to the market. Mahindra has been in the local scene for some time now and staking claim in the workhorse market. We recently sampled the fourth model in the special-edition line-up – the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo Dew.

Exterior

The lifestyle focused bakkie stands out from the rest of the range with its white color palette and red decals. Other notable exterior features include side steps, a rear sports bar, all-terrain tyres, and “Bundu Gear” front and rear bumpers. The rugged bakkie certainly looks the part, impressing onlookers wherever we went.

Interior

Inside, the Karoo Dew comes standard with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a reverse camera, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and leather seats. Passengers in the Karoo Dew are treated to comfortable leather seats and the infotainment system works well. The front passengers also get the benefit of individual armrests. However, we do feel it could do with some stowage space in the center console and more rear legroom.

Performance

Under the hood is a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine that produces 103kW/320Nm and is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Mahindra claims an average fuel consumption of 7,9l/100km It has a load bay that supports a maximum of 1000 kg and has a 2,500kg braked towing capacity.

Driving impressions

The 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine carries the bakkie well but will not win any takeoff contest. The ride quality is good even with the all-terrain tyres. Our time with Karoo Dew returned a fuel consumption of 8,9l/100km from the claimed 7,9l/100km. This mostly comprised of city driving.

Overall, the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo Dew offers prospective buyers most of what you need in a bakkie for just under R500,000.