Mahindra South Africa has a reliable, capable and affordable solution for tourist hotspots as they welcome guests back to our famous outdoors for the upcoming summer season.

The new S4 Mahindra Pik Up Game Viewer launches in South Africa with a full manufacturer warranty. The standard offering adds features normally required by game farms and tourist operators and is available with the choice of 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains. In addition, a customised solution is available for specific client needs. 

“With its breadth of talent as both a workhorse and a leisure vehicle, it is no surprise that the Pik Up has become such a popular bakkie in South Africa,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.

“We have been listening to our customers and, together with our manufacturing team, suppliers and industry partners have decided to expand the range with a series of locally developed and tested built-for-purpose models. There first of these is our new Game Viewer.”

Built on the S4 Single Cab platform with the input from game farms and tourist operators, the new Game Viewer has a massive 1 195 kg payload, a 3 040 mm wheelbase and 210 mm ground clearance. This makes it ideal for duty in the rugged African bushveld and for the safe and comfortable movement of up to ten guests.

The standard model features an open cabin to allow for easy movement by the tour guide and unspoiled views by the guests. Mahindra has included a fold-down windscreen, rubberised interior for extra durability in all weather conditions, and passenger access on either side of the wheel well on the right-hand side of the vehicle.

The standard upholstery is replaced by rip stop canvas and there is a new high roof that doubles as a heavy-duty roll cage with similar canvas covering.

In the back, Mahindra has added nine individual padded seats, each with an anchored lap belt. This will ensure the highest level of comfort and safety when travelling on tar or dirt.

Mahindra also offers a comprehensive list of modification options, allowing the tour operator or owner to perfectly customise the Pik Up Game Viewer to their need. All customisations are done by Mahindra, ensuring that they remain covered by the manufacturer warranty.

“In our research, we found that many tourist operators would benefit from having a game viewer-type vehicle, but their application does not necessitate a four-wheel drive system. For this reason, we have included a 4x2 option as value product offering,” says Rajesh.

While the standard S4 Pik Up Game Viewer will meet most operators’ needs, Mahindra has added a list of options for more specific applications. These applications include an extended foldaway polycarbonate windscreen that reaches the roof, a marine-ply roof cover, canvas roll down sides, additional 12V plug points inside the cabin, an optional wheel fitted on the rear of the cage and a nudge bar. Further, a full customized solution is available to cater to a customer’s specific needs. 

Under the skin, the Game Viewer is fitted with Mahindra’s popular mHawk 2.2 litre turbodiesel engine with common rail direct injection. This engine delivers 103 kW and 320 Nm, with the latter available from a low 1 500 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that drives the rear wheels in 4x2 configuration or all four wheels through the transfer case in 4x4 application. All models are fitted with Mahindra’s heavy-duty Mechanical Locking Differential (MLD) as standard.

The engine and vehicle are covered by a full 4-year / 120 000 km mechanical warranty and an optional Service Plan, with 20 000 km service intervals after the first 10 000 km lubrication service. 

“Tourism remains a key economic driver in South Africa, and we hope that with the S4 Pik Up Game Viewer, we can make the benefits of this vehicle available to more tourist destinations. This is especially true thanks to the development approach that included all the most popular features as standard, but also offers a comprehensive list of optional features to cater for specific needs.

“We are excited about exploring other vehicle applications of the trusty Pik Up that can fill a similar niche in other economic sectors,” says Rajesh.