Mahindra Pik-Up vs Zeekr 009

What's the difference?

Its sub-$40K pricing undercuts the cheapest Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux 4x4 equivalents by $10-15K and it’s backed by a decent warranty and 60-strong dealer network (mostly regional). It’s also largely absent from the federal government’s vehicle-recall listings, which suggests solid build quality.

However, it’s also short on safety, has relatively high servicing costs and numerous design quirks. Fact is, such low pricing comes with compromises, so, if you can learn to live with those, this sturdy and willing auto-equipped workhorse could represent good value for those shopping on a budget.

The Zeekr 009 is difficult to fault. It's a luxurious, practical vehicle that's easy and enjoyable to drive. There's no SUV on the planet that can compete with its practicality, whether it's room for people and their cargo, or just getting in and out of the vehicle. The only thing I would change about the 009 in terms of family use are the captain's chairs in the second row; a bench seat here for three people would be more practical for a family. If, however, you are using the 009 as a chauffeur car then the captain's chairs would provide the comfort and luxury jet-setting executives would welcome.

The PikUp has a 3040mm wheelbase and 5175mm length, 1820mm width and 1915mm height.

So, compared to a Ford Ranger XL equivalent, it’s 230mm shorter in wheelbase, 195mm shorter overall and 98mm narrower, so it’s relatively compact for a dual cab ute.

Built on a traditional ladder-frame chassis, its twin-wishbone front suspension uses torsion bars instead of the more common coil springs, while under the tail is a leaf-spring live rear axle. Brakes are front discs and rear drums.

With 210mm of ground clearance, its steep 34-degree approach angle is excellent but its 15-degree departure angle is less than half that figure, so it's prone to tail-dragging in the rough stuff.

And its bafflingly large 13.4-metre turning circle (kerb-to-kerb) demands numerous three-point turns.

The interior appears to have a good standard of finish and provides a visually-pleasing mix of black and grey surfaces with satin chrome highlights throughout. Driver controls are easy to see and operate and the front bucket seats are comfortable.

The rear bench seat is quite firm with good lumbar support, but it’s a squeeze for three adults given its relatively narrow width.

Even so, there’s adequate kneeroom and heaps of headroom even for tall adults, which is no doubt appreciated by hat-wearing farmers and tradies.

You might think that there's only so much you can do to make a people mover good looking but Zeekr’s futuristic and alien-like take is inspired.

I love to sheer bluntness of the face. I love the chiseled looking bonnet, the LED running lights and the little show they put on every time you walk to or from the car. Even the side profile of the car sitting low and planted on its air suspension looks sleek and stylish. And I love the roulette-wheel-style alloys wheels.

I was impressed by the interior of the Lexus LM500h but the interior of the 009 exceeds even that with modern and youthful styling wrapped in beautiful soft leather upholstery. The second-row seats are just absolutely sumptuous and every single touch point throughout the cabin feels luxurious.

The 009 doesn't match the size of the gigantic entertainment screen in the second row of the LM500h but I found the drop down 17-inch 3K entertainment to have an even more modern look and feel.

With its 2115kg kerb weight and 3150kg GVM, the S11 PikUp offers a 1035kg payload rating so it’s a genuine one-tonner.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer but given Mahindra doesn't publish a GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) we don’t know if it can retain its maximum payload while towing that weight.

Strangely, the load tub does not have any internal load-anchorage points. The only option for securing ropes or straps are external hooks, which are located along both upper sides of the tub and across the tailgate.

However, these would be ineffective in securing loads that are lower than the tub sides.

Front cabin storage is limited, as there are only narrow bins and no bottle holders in the front doors and you won’t find any cup/bottle holders or storage for small items in the dash, either. However, there is a single glove box and an overhead glasses holder.

The centre console has an open storage tray at the front and single cup and bottle holders in the centre, which are fine for one occupant but not two.

In contrast to the front doors, there are no bins in the base of each rear door, but they do get a large-bottle holder and what looks like a phone holder at mid-height.

There are also pockets on each front seat backrest, but the fold-down centre armrest does not have any cup/bottle holders.

The rear bench seat’s base cushion is fixed, so it can’t swing up and be stored vertically (like many dual cabs) if more internal cargo space is required.

However, it does at least provide some open storage space underneath for soft items like jackets etc.

When it comes to practicality, no SUV on the planet can beat a people mover for space, storage and utility. The Zeekr 009 is beautifully luxurious with outstanding practicality.

Air suspension can lower the vehicle to an entry height that is just a small step into a cabin through the power sliding doors and while space in the second row is outstanding, entry to the third row is easy with the second-row seats folding forward at the touch of the button.

This third row by the way is the most spacious I have encountered with excellent leg and headroom.

Gigantic door pockets, a folding table between second-row seats, great storage under the floating centre console and in the centre console bin, cupholders in all three rows along with wireless charging pads and USB ports everywhere make this a practical and versatile cabin for families or executives.

Boot capacity with all seven seats in place is 574 litres and with the third row folded flat there's 2979 litres of volume.

A front boot can be found under the bonnet but will probably just fit the charging cable.

The list price of the Zeekr 009 seven-seater is $135,900 before on-roads. There is also a six-seat version for $139,900 which swaps out the third-row bench seating for two separate, more luxurious seats.

We’ve tested the seven-seater version here but the standard features on both are almost identical.

Coming standard on the seven-seat 009 are LED headlights and LED tail-lights, power sliding side doors, a power tailgate and 20-inch alloy wheels clad in Michelin Pilots for EV tyres.

Inside, seven seats come standard with two captain’s chairs in the second row with heating, ventilation and massaging functions, and of course these are also fully power adjustable.

Standard, too, is a 30-speaker 3000W Yamaha sound system with speakers in the head rests. While I’m no audiophile, I have experienced the best sound systems offered by carmakers and this is up there with the most exceptional - Mark Levinsons included.

Folding out of the ceiling is a 17-inch 3K OLED screen for second and third-row passenger entertainment.

There’s four-zone climate control, sun shades for all side windows, a glass roof, and an 8.6-litre fridge large enough for six cans of drink.

Up front the seats are power adjustable, heated and ventilated too, there’s a 15.05-inch media screen, a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a 35.95-inch augmented reality head-up display, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

If you're wondering how all this adds up to $136,000 you can't forget that the Zeekr 009 has one of the largest batteries available in a production car. The 116kWh battery is only matched by Mercedes-Benz's EQS and BMW's i7 and these cars cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Batteries account for a large portion of the cost of an electric car and so at under $140K, and with all of the features it has as well, the Zeekr 009 is a relative bargain.

The latest version of the S11’s 'mHAWK' 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel meets tough Euro 6b emissions standards using AdBlue.

Armed with an intercooler and common-rail fuel injection, it produces a modest 103kW at 3750rpm. Its 320Nm, available across a 1300rpm-wide torque band between 1500-2800rpm, highlights good flexibility particularly under load.

It’s coupled with an equally refined Aisin-sourced six-speed torque converter automatic transmission, driving the rear wheels and offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting.

There’s also a Borg Warner part-time dual-range 4x4 transfer case and an Eaton automatic rear diff-lock.

The Zeekr 009 has two electric motors - one at the front and one at the rear - with a combined output of 450kW and 693Nm. That's Lamborghini Huracan stuff! Almost identical power, but this has more torque.

Not only does this provide all-wheel drive and fantastically controlled traction, but the way the power and torque is delivered is simply superb. This is a seven-seater rocket that will never leave the ground - hopefully.

The nature of electric motors - especially these ones - are the perfect fit for this vehicle, providing a serenely quiet, luxurious and effortlessly powerful experience.

Mahindra claims an official combined average of 9.3L/100km. At the conclusion of our 265km test, which was conducted without a load and in mostly city and suburban driving, our ‘real world’ figure based on fuel bowser and trip meter readings came in at 9.4 which is lineball.

So, it should deliver an excellent driving range of around 850km from its 80-litre tank.

The Zeekr 009 has a 116kWh battery which is enormous - almost the biggest you can get in Australia currently. This lithium-ion battery has a range of 582km (WLTP). There are petrol cars that can’t go that far on a tank.

The battery has an AC charging capacity of 11kW and DC charging capacity of 205kW, allowing you to charge from 10-80 per cent in 39 minutes.

Energy consumption is officially 19.5kWh/100km and we’ve been getting an average of 23.5kWh/100km.

That’s because this thing is so heavy at 2.9 tonnes.

The fold-down inboard armrest combined with the door’s armrest allows the driver to evenly rest both elbows, which reduces strain on shoulders and arms particularly during long highway hauls.

This set-up could work even better if the wheel had reach adjustment in addition to its adjustable height.

There’s no rake adjustment in the seat’s base cushion, either, but fortunately there’s a big left footrest to help the driver to maintain a comfortable posture.

The driving position is high relative to the bonnet and the tops of the doors, which is ideal for vehicle placement when off-road driving as it provides commanding views over the front and out the sides.

Unladen ride quality is quite firm, as you’d expect of a 4x4 designed to carry one tonne of payload, but is supple enough to provided acceptable comfort.

The steering weight is linear with easy turning effort; handling and braking response is satisfactory and engine and tyre noise are pleasantly low.

Our only major gripe is the huge turning circle, which is nudging that of a full-size American pick-up. The need to often do three-point turns, in situations that you really shouldn’t have to in a vehicle of this size, is annoying (and in some situations embarrassing).

Although its 2.2-litre diesel has modest outputs, it provides decent performance in city and suburban driving with its smooth-shifting auto.

It’s also a low-stressed highway cruiser, requiring less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h which is comfortably within its peak torque band.

We didn’t get to do our usual GVM test due to a hiccup with our weight supplies, but we have previously tested a cab-chassis PikUp with just under one tonne of payload (990kg) which it hauled with an all-round competence that belied its relatively small engine output.

The Zeekr 009 is one of the largest vehicles on the Australian market at almost three tonnes and 5.2 meters long but it's also one of the most comfortable, and one of the easiest and most enjoyable cars I've driven.

This is for three main reasons. The first is the air suspension which provides a beautifully comfortable and composed ride.

The next is those electric motors which provide so much grunt but in a very predictable way that's smooth, silent and instant, allowing you to move through traffic or drive confidently on a motorway.

Finally the visibility, steering and pedal feel all combined to provide an effortless piloting experience through narrow laneways, carparks or while parking.

Adding to the enjoyment of driving this people mover is a comfortable, plush interior that's so well insulated that you'll coast serenely through traffic.

As for handling, I have also driven the 009 on a race track at Sydney Motorsport Park. I pushed it through a couple of corners where even some sports have cars struggled to maintain their composure and this massive people move performed surprisingly well, staying planted through the corners.

I've also taken the 009 onto a skid pan and intentionally tried to slide the vehicle and even under these controlled conditions it showed no sign of roll or loss of control.

Having taken the 009 through probably the widest range of testing I've ever put a car through I'd say that it feels safe and secure in pretty much any real-world condition you will experience.

The Zeekr 009 hasn’t been tested by ANCAP yet, but it comes with auto emergency braking (AEB), front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assistance, auto parking, and blind spot warning. You’ve got airbags covering all three rows and a centre airbag up front.

For child seats there are four ISOFIX points in the second and third rows and four top tether points.

Warranty is five years/150,000km. 12 months roadside assist is renewable with each scheduled service at Mahindra dealers.

Service intervals are 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.

Capped-price servicing for the first four years or 55,000km totals $2296, or a pricey average of $574 per service.

The 009 is covered by Zeekr’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 40,000km or every two years, whichever comes first. There’s also five years/unlimited kilometres of roadside assistance and five years of connected services as standard.