Mahindra Pik Up S11 Karoo Extended-term Review, Part 2: Venturing off the beaten track

The day The Firetruck went up the mountain

By the beginning of the Mahindra Pik Up’s third (and final) month in my care, travel restrictions had lifted sufficiently to allow a one-day outing, so I went to get re-acquainted with an old favourite off-road trial: De Wildt, to the north-western side of Pretoria. And, seeing as it’s never a smart idea to venture onto the trails alone, I invited some friends along for the occasion. 

In our little convoy were some modified Land Rover Discovery 2s, a couple of standard-ish Discovery 3s, and a stock Discovery 4. Because our group consisted of mostly experienced off-roaders with proper machinery, we tried out some of the more-challenging obstacles at De Wildt. The results reinforced my earlier impressions of the Mahindra's capability, and also added to them.

Related: Find out what everyday life is like with a Mahindra Pik Up S11 Karoo.

 

Mahindra Pik Up S11 powertrain and off-road hardware

Standard across the Pik Up range is a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder intercooled turbodiesel. Peak outputs are respectable but still on the modest side, with 103 kW and 320 Nm on tap – the latter in a plateau from 1 500 to 2 800 r/min. In the S11, it’s mated to a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, and is available with either rear- or four-wheel drive (as applied to the test vehicle).

On-road performance is gentlemanly, as we’ve determined in the “daily driving” part of this report. Off-road, it’s a different matter, because the gearbox is well-programmed to be obedient to driver inputs and responsive when left to its own devices. Helping its cause are well-chosen gear ratios, a broad torque spread and a low-range 4WD transfer case, making the Pik Up S11 a very capable and surprisingly agile 4x4.

The S11’s specification sheet has most the things you’d expect from a modern 4x4, including hill descent control and traction control. It doesn’t have any form of terrain response system, though – the only driver selections involve switching the aforementioned HDC or TC on or off, and choosing between high- and low range. When selecting low range, the TC mostly switches off automatically, but it will still intervene by applying the brakes in response to high levels of wheelspin.

The basic architecture looks promising enough for off-road use, with an excellent approach angle of 34 degrees, a 15-degree departure angle, and an 18-degree breakover angle, thanks in part to ground clearance of 210 mm. These figures aren’t quite class-leading, but are still good enough to challenge its opponents when the going gets tough.

In contrast to many of its mainstream opponents, the Pik Up doesn’t have a driver-activated locking rear differential. Instead, there’s a self-locking rear differential, which engages as soon as it detects a speed difference between the two rear wheels. How well does this arrangement work out in the field, and is the traction management package good enough to keep the Mahindra moving over challenging terrain?

Related: The top 8 things you need to know about the Mahindra Pik Up S11.

 

About that diff lock...

It takes a bit of getting used to, but the Mahindra/Eaton self-locking rear diff works well – once the driver understands how it operates. The basic principle is that it functions as an open diff by default, but mechanically locks up as soon as there’s a significant difference in the rear wheels’ respective rotation speeds – an action that also leads to an audible “thunk” (as confirmation that it’s engaged?)

The one key requirement for this type of differential to operate is that it needs some wheelspin and torque application to engage – the wheelspin triggering the differential’s locking mechanism, and then some torque to stay engaged. For this reason, tackling obstacles needs a slightly different approach to what you’d apply with a manually-engaged diff lock. 

Stay on the power when a rear wheel starts spinning (when climbing a rock, for instance, and contrary to what your 4x4 training course taught you), and it will engage and pull you over or out of the obstacle. Back off the power and it releases the diff lock, meaning that you’ll need to initiate wheelspin again if you want to get it to lock up again.

Driving around this characteristic needs some steady accelerator pressure, keeping a little bit of torque fed to the diff, to keep it engaged until its action is no longer required. The upshot is that the diff lock automatically disengages when the accelerator is lifted, making for a total absence of button-pushing and consequently giving easier manoeuvrability in tight turning conditions.

Related: Mahindra Pik Up S11 Karoo 4x4 test drive – be sure to check out these features!

 

So, how did it perform?

Sticking to the same lines as my companions, the Mahindra Pik Up went everywhere they did, and with comparative ease. The sole complaint regarded the rather poor departure angle, caused by that bulky bumper hanging beneath the tailgate, which tended to drag its lower edge right at the bottom of particularly steep hills. A slimmer, steel aftermarket item (probably incorporating a towbar) will be a great improvement in this regard, and eliminate the only serious point of criticism.

But, for the rest, neither ground clearance nor belly dragging proved to be a problem. The Pik Up’s combination of traction control and that self-locking differential also helped to maintain forward motion (or got us moving on very uneven terrain), even if it cocked a front wheel in cross-axle situations. 

The only test to which we didn’t subject it was De Wildt’s deepest mud pit. I had no inclination of drowning Mahindra’s bakkie, so I decided against diving deeply enough to have muddy water streaming over the bonnet (and potentially into the engine’s air intake). But, given the quality of dust- and water sealing around the Pik Up’s cabin and on the engine’s electronic bits, there’s little doubt that simply fitting it with a snorkel (and properly knobbly mud tyres) will have seen it cross the same streams as its companion vehicles.

Related: Ané Theron also reviewed the Mahindra Pik Up S11 4x4, but in Cape Town – get her report here!

 

Would I recommend it?

Remarkable off-road prowess (especially once fitted with a shallower rear bumper) at a comparative bargain price means that a Mahindra Pik Up S11 will be more than capable of going where an average adventurous family might want to go. It’s not quite the absolute ultimate in terms off-road ability and it has remarkably few off-road driver aids, but it will easily go everywhere any other (mostly) unmodified double cab would. 

It's also one of the best-value new 4x4 auto double cabs around (R 429 999 as tested) – a genuinely off-road-capable bakkie for the price of a used, less well-equipped mainstream-brand one. But, if ultimate off-road capability is your prime priority, keep an eye out for the all-new and very impressive Mahindra Thar instead, which is due to hit South African shores around April. It will be worth the wait. Promise.

Related: New cars coming to SA in 2021 – a quick but exciting preview. 

 

* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice. 

** Included in the standard list price is a warranty for 4 years or 120 000 km, and a service plan for 5 years or 90 000 km.

Expert rating:

As a family-friendly double cab: 3.5/5

Being a high-value alternative to the establishment, the Mahindra Pik Up S11 has a lot to offer. It’s obviously not an ideal city car, though...

As a go-anywhere mountain goat: 4/5

Off the beaten track, competitive hardware and good numbers compare very well to its price competitors. Just remember how that diff works if you want to get the most out of it.

 

Recommended Next:

Shop for new and used Mahindra Pik Up bakkies for sale here.