Up until recently, I’m ashamed to admit that I’d never given the Mahindra brand much credit. I’d snobbishly boxed the Indian conglomerate as primarily a tractor manufacturer that wasn’t in the same league as the Germans and Japanese when it came to building cars.

That misconception changed when I recently got behind the wheel of the XUV300 – pronounced “XUV three-double-O”. A direct competitor to the popular Ford EcoSport, the Hyundai Creta and Renault Captur, the XUV300 comes in both petrol and diesel engines, mated with a six-speed manual transmission. The entry-level is a 3-cylinder 1.2 turbocharged petrol engine, underpinned by 81kW and 200Nm. The derivative I got to spend a few weeks in was the 4-cylinder 1.5 diesel, offering 86kW and 300Nm. With best in class safety, replete with seven airbags, boy was I impressed.

The almost 4m-long XUV is quite a looker, with its LED indicators, dual-tone roof rails, 17” wheels and silver front and rear skid plates. According to Mahindra, the design of the XUV was inspired by a cheetah. I’m not sure if an African wildcat came to mind when I laid eyes on my wheels, but it definitely was a looker, reminding me at times of the stylish Audi Q2 and head-turning Range Rover Evoque.

My ride was kitted out in the top-of-the-spec W8 trim level, which includes a glass tilt-and-slide sunroof and a colour-customisable LED-lit instrument cluster, usually found in vehicles belonging to more expensive segments. As I familiarised myself with my Indian cat, the list of specs grew more impressive. I fiddled around to discover a host of goodies including dual-zone climate control with three pre-set memory settings, automatic headlights, and a handy integrated voice command system with steering mounted controls which really helps when trying to avoid distracted driving. Then there’s cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and my all-time favourite – a reverse parking camera.

The 17.8cm infotainment system with built-in nav is pretty user-friendly and is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. In line with its pledge to safe driving, Mahindra has come up with a nifty app called Mahindra Bluesense which tracks your driving habits and scores them according to a set of environmentally friendly metrics. Past trip info can be stored on the app which can be accessed via your phone or smartwatch. 

Although the seats are not real leather, the leatherette used inside comes damn close to looking like the real deal. The driver’s seat is six-way adjustable while the rear seats can be folded down.

But what was it like to drive? Amazing actually. The 1.5 turbo diesel had ample power, especially in Sport Mode, while the 6-speed manual gearbox was slick and accurate, working with very little shifting effort. The suspension felt solid and well planted and while doing some gravel driving it felt like there was plenty of grip and minimal body roll. Expecting plenty of shakes and rattles, the XUV was surprisingly well behaved with hardly any cabin noise or engine vibration. My biggest gripe is that we don’t yet have an auto version but apparently that’s on the cards.

Despite my enthusiasm for the compact SUV, I was still not 100% convinced. Perhaps the XUV300 was just a fluke. So, about two weeks ago I decided to attend the world-first launch of the S11 Pik Up ( and, no, that’s not a typo), in Gauteng to put Mahindra to the test again. Ingrained prejudice is hard to crack. 

My farmgirl heart was about to be set aflutter. Reminiscent of one of those 1950s American pickups, the new S11 manages to achieve both a retro and contemporary feel. Originally called the Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up, now known simply as the Mahindra Pik Up, the big news is that the Pik Up has gone auto in the new S11 by way of an all-new six-speed automatic gearbox, available in the double cab models.

It’s mated with a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, offering 103kW and 320Nm of torque and comes in 4×4 and 4×2 derivatives including the special edition, top of the range Karoo derivative.

The S11 will definitely stand out among the traditional bakkie pack. It’s not as refined-looking as the Ford Ranger, the Amarok or that snazzy Mercedes X-Class cos this is a workhorse baby, with some pretty standard specs inside. It’s also cheaper. The too-small for my liking 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system offers Bluetooth connectivity, there’s automatic climate control, a multifunction steering wheel with mounted controls for the infotainment system and a full-colour reverse camera all fitted as standard.

But if you’re in the S11 market you’re not going to be bothered by whether the info screen is HD or not. Where the S11 really impresses is on-road and off. We put it to the test on some gruelling terrain and she behaved like a true off-roader should. With a good dose of 210mm ground clearance, the double cab comes with a mechanical diff lock, so scaling steep, rocky mountainous terrain was a cinch. There’s also a heavy-duty Cushion suspension system which offers a load capacity of 995kg in the 4×4 derivative and 1,095kg in the 4×2. Airbags are a bit on the stingy side with just two in the front. Fuel consumption is surprisingly frugal with a claimed 7.9 litre/100km.

After testing two Mahindras back to back I got out of the driver’s seat impressed. I’m clearly not the only one. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), Mahindra grew by a whopping 28.7% last year, despite the industry declining by 5.8%, making it the fastest growing car brand in South Africa for 2019. Namaste. DM

Pricing:

XUV300 W6 1.2 Petrol — R249,999

XUV 300 W8 1.5 Diesel — R324,999 

(All XUVs come with a 5-year 150,000km warranty and a standard 5-year or 90,000km service plan and roadside assistance.)

Pik Up S11 AT 4×2 — R384,999

Pik Up S11 4×2 Karoo AT — R399,999

Pik Up S11 AT 4×4 — R414,999

Pik Up S11 4×4 Karoo AT — R429,999

(All S11s come with a 4-year/120,000km technical warranty plus a 5-year/100,000km warranty and roadside assistance.)