Bold styling studies seem set to be in production next year - and both are cited for Kiwi driving.

UNVEILING by Mahindra of their challenger to the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux utilities plus a fully electric edition of the Thar, a Jeep-like tough off-roader, has further whetted the New Zealand distributor’s appetite to sell both.

While the Pik Up Vision (at top) and electric Thar (immediately above) are still described as concepts, Mahindra has indicated both are production certainties and also indicated the showroom deliveries will be largely true to these styling exercises. In case of the Thar, though, arrival is expected to occur in 2026.

The products it showed off at an exposition in South Africa, presently the brand’s biggest export market, have thrilled Mahindra NZ, with a spokesman saying today there is local eagerness to learn more.

India’s fourth largest car maker has already confirmed the new ute will be a starter for New Zealand, though exact launch timing has yet to confirmed.

Mahindra head office says production is not kicking in in earnest until 2025, however there is still local hope supply of vehicle could be secured next year.

The big reveal confirmed the ute is based off the Scorpio, a robust 2,2-litre turbodiesel ladder-framed seven-seater sports utility that has just launched in New Zealand, and was driven by MotoringNZ in India several weeks ago.

The ute application delivers with a shift on the fly four-wheel-drive - with Scorpio, that comes on three editions, but there’s also a base rear-drive - and, as with the NZ-market SUV, there’s a six-speed auto. The six-speed manual availed in India also shows on the ute.

Mahindra has not made clear if the four cylinder engine will be retuned for the ute. In Scorpio, it offers 129kW at 3500rpm and 400Nm from 1750-2750rpm.

The leading sellers in the NZ ute sector have more. It’s 21kW and 100Nm less than the Hilux 2.8-litre turbodiesel delivers and is also 35kW/100Nm shy of the Ranger’s 2.0-litre biturbo.

Mazda BT-50 has two four-cylinder turbodiesel choices, a 1.9-litre with 110kW and 350Nm, plus a 3.0-litre making 140kW and 450Nm. The latter also runs in identical tune in the donor Isuzu D-Max. Mitsubishi Triton in current form has 135kW/437Nm and, in the new model here next year, the 2.4-litre, thanks to addition of twin turbos, ups that to 150kW/470Nm.

Whereas Scorpio’s four wheel drive has three modes, the ute’s has four: Normal, grass-gravel-snow, mud-rut and sand.

In its announcement, Mahindra head office confirmed the Pik Up Vision has been developed for multiple markets that apart from NZ include India, South and Central America, ASEAN, Australia and Africa.

"The new Global Pik Up marks a significant step in Mahindra's Go-Global Strategy,” said Veejay Nakra, the Mahindra automotive president who had briefed the NZ media contingent about some elements of the model two weeks ago.

“Our move with the Global Pik Up is poised to not only reinforce our presence in existing markets but also pave the way to new frontiers.”

Mahindra has been altering its engineering standard to meet the global NCAP crash testing standard, which represents here as a European or Australasian (ANCAP) rating.

This is tougher in some respects to the domestic market NCAP schedule that is required for sale in India.

It is still uncertain where the Scorpio and a similar looking Mahindra SUV, the XUV700, stands with ANCAP, but the lack of automate emergency braking in Scorpio will be enough to prohibit it being eligible for the maximum five stars.

Mahindra assured the NZ media contingent that Scorpio will update to take AEB, probably next year.

The make made clear in South Africa that the ute achieving a five-star global NCAP score is a must-do. It suggests that while Scorpio is a donor, the ute’s ladder frame chassis is “all new”.

The full gambit of features has yet to shared, but the make has assured the model will be four-wheel drive, have 5G connectivity, take a level-2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) and have immersive audio.

Visually, the model is as butch-looking as most other one-tonne contenders, with a generous ground clearance - Scorpio’s is already an above-average 220mm - and large wheel arches.

The frontal look has similarities with Scorpio, with similarly-designed headlights, bonnet and wheel arches.

But the grille is different and the concept is shown with extra protection elements than are meted the SUV, including a large skid plate on the front bumper. The concept sports a roof-mounted light bar, a snorkel and a sunroof.

Apart from the Global Pik Up concept, Mahindra also showcased an electric version of Thar, its biggest seller in India but challenged in export markets by Jeep having taken litigation, on grounds of the styling being too close to that of the Wrangler.

Mahindra has previously said the updated Thar, which includes the battery model, will divorce from that issue.

The Thar.e shown off in South Africa is certainly no Wranger doppelgänger and enforces that it is going to be almost a separate entity to the petrol edition, which is also being eyed up by Mahindra in NZ.

The EV is based on the Inglo - ‘Born Electric’ (BE) platform, which is born from a deal with Volkswagen that has allowed access to the German’s MEB electric car structure.

MEB underpins the ID.4 and ID.5, Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4 and Cupra Born electric cars on sale in NZ, but in single motor rear-drive.

No details about motor and battery size, range or performance have been shared. But it’s confirmed the Thar.e will be dual motor, to avail full-time four-wheel-drive.

The wheelbase will extend from the regular 2775mm to 2995mm to accommodate the battery pack. Ground clearance of 300mm is cited.

Its construction will incorporate 50 percent recycled PET and recyclable uncoated plastics.

It will also feature adaptable, modular, and swappable components.

Mahindra has not revealed a launch timing, but a new electric vehicle production line at its big plant in Pune, India, visited by NZ media is going to be in action from mid next year. There’s expectation the electric Thar would be rolling out as early as late 2024.

Mahindra already has one electric car in circulation. The XUV400 is based on the XUV300 sub-compact SUV, which is a derivative of the SsangYong Tivoli, from a model-sharing agreement that has now lapsed.

A new visual identity was also unveiled for Mahindra Electric's forthcoming range of electric vehicles and the brand says that the EVs will also specific sound modes, developed by a well-known composer in India, A R Rahman.