Don’t you just love it when a carmaker puts their creations to the ultimate test? This is exactly what Mahindra South Africa did when they sent their newly released Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DUSK, DAWN, and STORM vehicles on an uncharted 21-day adventure through three southern African countries.
Following Clues Through South Africa, Namibia And Lesotho
Expedition leader, Hardy De Kock, and fellow adventurers Peter King, Jaco du Plessis and Chantal Burger were the lucky drivers who got to pilot the new Karoo bakkies (unveiled locally in July) on an incredible three-day adventure. The made-for-purpose adventure bakkies came with the brand promise to ‘unleash the explorer in you’ and the Pik Up Karoo Expedition set out to do just that.
De Kock’s team covered 8,580km covered through South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho, seeking out clues about their route as they went. This included a lot of very challenging terrain. Think corrugated back roads in the Kahalari, shifting sand dunes in the Namib, treacherous Richersveld tracks, and more.
Incredible Performance Across All Terrains
De Kock and his team returned home after three full weeks of adventuring with only the highest praise for the Mahindra Pik Up Karoo DUSK, Karoo DAWN, and Karoo STORM vehicles. Even though they went out of their way to put the vehicles through their paces, there were no issues in sight, and the bakkies surpassed their expectations at every turn. In fact, De Kock promptly requested to buy the Pik Up he drove up on their return!
So, what set the Karoo models apart on the road? Here are a few of the aspects that stood out for the adventuring team as they made their way through some of southern Africa’s most beautiful and challenging regions:
- Unique, heavy-duty suspension
- 16″ hardened alloy rims
- Off-road tyres with a tough tread pattern
- Custom-designed approach and departure bumpers with recovery points
- Shift-on-the-fly 4×4 system with auto-locking rear differential
What a journey it must have been! Take a deep dive here if you want to see how it all went down.
Keen to pave the way for adventures of your own? Get in touch with the Group 1 Mahindra team at our branches in Midrand or Kuils River to book a test drive today. There is simply no better way to get a feeling of what the Mahindra Karoo is capable of than settling behind the wheel – and we can even bring the bakkie to you…
