Value-minded buyers increasingly take to “challenger” brands as economic conditions tighten, and Mahindra has a good selection of products to take advantage of this trend. Their range of offerings include several SUVs and a wide array of double-cab bakkies, but some are better for families than others.
With the better part of three decades’ consistent presence in our marketplace, Mahindra has carved out a comfortable niche as manufacturer of tough, high-value bakkies and SUVs. They’ve even been assembling the Pik Up in Durban since 2018, so they truly are at home in South Africa. Let’s see how well their range of products fit the bill as family vehicles.
The requirements
An effective family vehicle must be able to perform a wide variety of tasks, from going on the school- and shopping runs, to hauling everyone and their things on holiday – possibly even with a caravan or trailer in tow. And, to keep your family happy, it should also be a spacious and comfortable place to spend extended periods of time, whether in traffic or on the long haul to the coast.
Safety is a key priority, which means at least a minimum specification in terms of driver aids and airbags. A good crash test rating is a must as well, and so is some current tech like a rear-view camera and smartphone mirroring. In ascending price order, the Mahindra range comprises:
Mahindra KUV100 Nxt (From R 162 999)
The least-expensive Mahindra is also one of South Africa’s least-expensive cars, but it’s also one of the most-distinctive budget cars out there. The KUV100 Nxt is a quirky mini-SUV-crossover, powered by a choice between two 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder engines. Outputs are rated at 61 kW and 115 Nm in the petrol version (named D80), and 57 kW and 190 Nm in turbodiesel format (named D75).
The KUV100 Nxt isn’t ideal for family use, however, for a number of reasons. Apart from its diminutive size (which enforces a small boot and upright seating), it doesn’t feature ISOFIX rear child seat anchors or stability control. It’s also quite slow, so a long drive will take a long time, and only the diesel would be capable of towing a small trailer with any conviction.
Mahindra Bolero (From R 176 999)
We’re including it for the sake of completeness, but the Bolero is an all-out work truck and not a family vehicle. Even though it does offer a double-cab version (from R 244 999), it’s a rough-and-ready machine with very few modern amenities, a noisy and bumpy, and literally no safety features. Perfect for work-site duties, but not suitable for families.
Mahindra Pik Up (From R 222 999)
That attractive opening price only applies to a single-cab/bare chassis combination, while the double-cab Pik Up retails from R 349 999 up to R 570 999. All Pik Ups are powered by a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 103 kW and 320 Nm. There’s a choice between two 6-speed gearboxes (a manual and an automatic), various trim- and appearance packages, and either RWD or electronically-selectable 4WD.
The Mahindra Pik Up received a respectable 3-star rating from ANCAP in 2012, and subsequent upgrades have further improved safety credentials. Two airbags and ABS are present across the double-cab range, although only variants with the automatic gearbox currently feature stability control.
As for space and comfort, a family should be quite well-served, provided none of them are over average-sized. The cabin has tons of headroom, but it’s a bit narrow as well, and legroom in the rear is restricted. ISOFIX child seats anchors are provided in the rear, though, so small children should be fairly content.
There’s a pretty decent cabin (for the money) as well, with a reasonably extensive available equipment list stretching towards sat-nav, a rear-view camera and smartphone mirroring. As for practicality, even the 4×4 can handle just about 1-ton in its square load-box, and the Pik Up also has a braked towing rating of up to 2 500 kg. Just be aware that the turning circle is massive, so taking a Pik Up into a crowded parking area can be a daunting prospect.
Mahindra’s Pik Up is ageing now, and is becoming increasingly antiquated in the face of newer double-cabs, but it’s still a useable, tough, economical and (often) well-equipped contender for family-car duties. It is however still not the best Mahindra for families in its family…
Mahindra XUV300 (From R 254 999)
This is the first-rate Mahindra upon which much hope is pinned, yet it appears to be getting crowded-out in the marketplace by the multitude of compact SUV-crossover alternatives. And that’s a pity, because the Mahindra XUV300 has much to offer – especially for family use on a tight budget.
Powered by a choice of 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbopetrol (81 kW/ 200 Nm) and 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel (86 kW/ 300 Nm) engines, power is sent to the front wheels only through a 6-speed manual gearbox. Incidentally, the entry-level 1.5TD W4 is a bit of a bargain, giving the least-expensive way of getting the excellent turbodiesel – albeit at the cost of some cosmetic appeal and creature comforts.
All variants feature at least 2 airbags and ABS, while the high-end W8 improves that to 7 airbags and adds stability control, parking sensors all round, and a rear-view camera to the package. The XUV300 also scored 5 stars in Global NCAP testing in 2020, which is a remarkable feat when you consider that the tested car was the entry-level variant, not even the one with the airbag upgrade!
The XUV300 rates fairly highly on practicality as well, but it’s clearly biased towards cabin space at the expense of some luggage volume. There’s only 259-litres of boot space with all seats in use, but it does provide a full-sized spare wheel in compensation. This is the only real downside for the XUV300 in a family-car role, however, because it ticks most of the other boxes quite emphatically.
Mahindra Scorpio (From 363 999)
Available only in top-spec S11 trim and exclusively with a manual gearbox, the Mahindra Scorpio is just as antiquated as its Pik Up sibling, but offers seriously good value for a body-on-frame SUV. You can get into a genuinely off-road-capable, 5-door 4×4 SUV for only R 388 999, which makes it the least-expensive vehicle of its type in our market.
Equipment levels and safety kit mirror those of the S11 Pik Up, but, because it only come with a manual transmission, stability control is not on the menu. The Scorpio is a fair bit more practical for family use than the Pik Up, though, with its shorter wheelbase making it easier to park, and the freedom of a lockable load bay that can be accessed from inside the cabin.
Mahindra XUV500 (From R 410 999)
At the top of Mahindra’s local SUV range sits the XUV500, which is also getting on in years. But this is the Mahindra that will suit family use the best of them all, thanks to its very spacious cabin with 7 seats, generous load bay in 5-seater mode, good safety credentials, and comprehensive standard equipment list – all for a very reasonable price.
The entire range employs Mahindra’s “mHawk” 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel, tuned to deliver 103 kW and 330 Nm in this application. The majority of the current range use a 6-speed automatic transmission, but mid-level W8 trim can be had with a 6-speed manual as alternative. Regardless of transmission, the power is sent exclusively to the front wheels.
Stability control, ABS, rear parking sensors and at least 2 airbags are fitted across the range, with the W8 and W10 getting an upgrade to 6 airbags, a rear-view camera, and parking sensors at both ends. The XUV500 is also well-equipped to protect its occupants in a collision, thanks to a 4-star ANCAP crash test rating, obtained in 2012.
Verdict
While most Mahindra models can serve as family transport, albeit with some space compromises which enforce a 1-child family for the KUV100 Nxt, the unibody SUVs (XUV300 and XUV500) are definitely the best-suited to family use. In fact, if cheap space and strong safety credentials are a priority for your family, the XUV500 offers an almost unbeatable value combination for today’s market, wrinkles and all…
* Prices and specifications were correct at the time of publication, but are subject to change without prior notice.
Keyword: Is Mahindra good for families?