Mahindra is all set to launch its new Pik-Up in the American markets which is more of a classic than flashy. It is the company’s or rather India’s first U.S. offering and is easy on looks but heavy on utility. Global Vehicles U.S.A, its American distributor will assemble tens of thousands of light pickup trucks annually in Ohio. It will be a compact pickup with a clean, high-tech 4-cylinder diesel engine which provides 30 MPG and should haul up to 1.3 tons. The truck is expected to come in both TR20 (two-door) and TR40 (four-door) styles.

The truck is powered by 2.2-liter turbo diesel 4 cylinder engine that provides 150 horsepower and 300 pounds-feet of torque. The payload offered by the truck is 2765 pounds which is extremely high for this class of vehicles. Its towing capacity is around 5000 lbs. The engine’s estimated miles per gallon is 30 and is manufactured by German giants BOSCH. The truck will have a whopping 7.5-foot bed which is quite large when compared to the standard 6 ft. These features allow them to carry any crazy-heavy payloads and make them suit the tag line “Made For The Hardest Places On Earth”.

On the exterior, Mahindra has given it a corporate logo a prominent position on the grill, with the looks of the front bumper strengthened. The headlights come with LED turn signals embedded in it. The cargo box is conventional, but the bed is 5-feet 3-inches wide and can easily handle 4×8 sheets of plywood. The water around the windshield and doors is carried away by the rain gutters around the rooftops. Also the rear glass has integrated defrosters.

The interior is of a conventional manner. Door sill plates are bolted-down plastic strips and vertical bar attached close to the left of the steering wheel is used for tilt control. The cabin is large enough to accommodate a 6-foot-tall driver comfortably and wide enough to maintain compactness. The large cabin gives the driver excellent visibility out of the side windows regarding truck’s position to other vehicles and when navigating tight spots.

The steering is solid enough to provide a smooth control and a comfortable feel. The truck turn corners with very little body roll or handling slop and goes where it is directed with minimal fuss. Traction control is provided on rear-wheel-drive pickups, which comes handy when the truck tends to lose traction when the bed is empty. It also has many gizmo features which many U.S. midsize trucks do not have. Those include the advanced AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system, USB, auxiliary input and SD-card ports. The truck comes in with safety features like standard ABS, dual front air bag, traction control. Also other key features such as gas mileage, warranty, payload, and expected life cycle due to diesel reliability, 6 speed automatic transmission, stability control, rollover mitigation and HVAC control should make the Mahindra Pik-Up worth its price of $22,000. Overall the Pik-Up can be rated as a truck that could function as a workhorse as well as a daily driver.