Deciding whether to plunge into a murky body of water, potentially reaching dashboard height, always requires a leap of faith. The first part involves trusting that the vehicle will wade through smoothly, while the second entails believing that the seals will effectively keep the liquid out.
On both counts, the Mahindra PikUp in Karoo fettle with the dark grey colours of the Storm came through with flying colours, brushing off the obstacle and the water with absolute disdain while amending the grimace of my passenger to a happy smile.
The Mahindra Karoo triumvirate is offered in a carefully selected range of colours to reflect the diverse moods of the Karoo. At first glance, its seemingly unappetising grey may not strike you, but surprisingly, it quickly grows on you. However, do not be misled by its appearance. There is nothing dark or stormy about it when you hit the road.
On the road again: the ultimate Storm test
The test unit comprises big, chunky offroad tyres that returned a lot of road noise on the tarmac. While a set of tyres suitable for all surfaces will reduce this, the choice of the tyre depends on the driver's needs.
New decals are standard with the branded Karoo interior carpets, a nudge bar and a load bin-mounted sports bar with Karoo detailing.
Comfort, connectivity and convenience
Leather upholstery adorns the cabin. Connectivity includes an HD 9-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and in-built maps, compared to the 7-inch version fitted to the standard PikUp.
All three Karoo models will come with heavy-duty off-road suspension, off-road tyres, hardened 4x4 rims, an additional off-road spare wheel rim and front and rear steel bumpers for better off-road clearance.
Engine and design specifications
The Storm features the mHawk 2,2-litre turbo-diesel engine offering 103 kW at 3 750 r/min and 320 Nm of torque in a power band between 1 500 r/min and 2 800 r/min, driving through a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission.
With the globally changing face of the auto industry and the move away from conventional sedans and hatches in favour of SUVs and, for South Africa in particular, luxury specification bakkies as the primary mode of transport, the Mahindra PikUp sits slightly to the right of the field.
Even at its most luxurious, it screams workhorse, whereas some other marques favour styling and look like the point of attraction for potential customers.
The tough-looking, somewhat conservative exterior of the Storm is very much backed up by its performance off the beaten track, including some donga-dicing exercises. Such a showing makes the Storm a highly capable 4X4.
In the rough stuff, the cabin remains comfortable, with the seats suitably shaped to prevent unnecessary sliding around and padded well enough to absorb the bumps. Equally, the cabin comfort is enough to make long hours on the road a pleasant drive.
The off-road tyres detract from on-road ability, requiring a more cautious approach during highway turns instead of aggressive cornering, especially on wet tar roads. Like any vehicle of its kind, certain compromises are inevitable, and this aspect is one of them.
Storm comparable models
In terms of price competitors, the Storm faces up with the Toyota Hilux 2.4GD-6 double cab 4x4 SR, Nissan Navara 2.5DDTi double cab SE Plus 4x4 and the GWM P-Series 2.0TD double cab LT 4x4 – the Storm being R634 999.
In terms of power, it runs well short of the 120 kW offered by both the Nissan and GWM and has less torque than the others. Although this may appear a lot on paper, it never seemed underpowered or struggling while in my hands.
While both Toyota and Nissan assert improved fuel efficiency, the recorded 9.3 l/100 km on the test cycle falls within an acceptable range. Such a variance can be attributable to the use of off-road tyres.
Wrap up
Perhaps its weakest performance in the comparison lies in the fact that it provides only two crash bags compared to the six or seven offered by its competitors. However, it compensates with several standard comfort features such as navigation, a heated rear screen, rain-sensor wipers, and auto on-off lights.
It also has a 4-year/120 000 km mechanical warranty and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan.
Overall, I liked the package and enjoyed being a ‘rider on the Storm’.
