Mahindra utes clock up million-kilometre milestone
A fleet of Mahindra Pik-Up utes are among the hardest working vehicles in Australia.
Newcastle-based Valley Express, a professional courier service that specialises in working with the Australian mining industry, has been recognised by Mahindra this week for its loyalty after one of its Pik-Up utes recently clocked up more than a million kilometres.
Valley Express initially purchased five Mahindra Pik-Ups in 2021 to deliver equipment across the country, with the remaining four others also close to approaching the seven-figure milestone.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
The freight company was so impressed by the reliability of the utes that it added another two more last year.
'We have been really pleased with the performance of the Mahindra Pik-Up ute,' the Valley Express director Megan Hinds told CarExpert.
'The value for money is what attracted us to them in the first place. Essentially we can get two of these utes for the price of one well-known alternative.
'And since we've had them, they have proven to be extremely reliable which is critical for our business.'
Valley Express labels itself as an 'urgent' freight company that assists with delivering anything from a small satchel to heavy equipment for breakdown repairs.
Its Mahindra Pik-Ups have travelled across the country from their Newcastle base, as far afield as Alice Springs, Far North Queensland and Western Australia.
'Each car covers approximately 5000-7000 kilometres a week, or around 250,000km a year, and they are on the road 24 hours a day, seven days a week,' added Hinds.
Each Pik-Up is fully serviced weekly by Hunter Valley Mahindra in Rutherford.
'We have had to do a bit of maintenance with them over that time, and replaced the gearbox on each of them every 250,000km or so,' said Hinds.
'But that has been more of a preventative measure, other than general wear and tear and consumables like tyres and brakes. We haven't had a vehicle off the road or let us down on the job.
'They are all still running the original engine, with the same fuel-injectors, turbochargers, alternators and power steering pumps.'
Mahindra Automotive's Shivank Bargoti visited Valley Express earlier this week to recognise the longevity milestone of the company's vehicles, and to present Hinds and her team with a series of million-kilometres plaques for the utes.
'Valley Express has been a loyal Mahindra customer for years, and their million-kilometre fleet highlights what the Pik-Up was built for – dependable performance at exceptional value,' said Bargoti.
'This kind of longevity doesn't happen by accident. It's what makes Mahindra stand out in the real working world.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
30 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Expert's advice to Aussie motorists concerned about fuel prices surging
Australian motorists worried about tensions in the Middle East affecting prices at the pump have been sent a clear message: 'Fill up now.' US President Donald Trump 's administration carried out an attack on three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday. It comes after Israel launched attacks on Iran earlier this month. Oil prices are expected to rise as a result of the escalation in conflict, however experts have spoken out to ease fears of immediate surges. 'It's really important for Australians today to understand that what we have seen again over the weekend, while it is another escalation above and beyond the escalation we saw the weekend before it, this is the Middle East,' NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said. 'Unfortunately, flare-ups are all too often and all too common.' The regional benchmark for oil in Australia, Tapis, is expected to increase in price by tonight, Khoury said. 'We don't know by how much,' he said. Based on what we're seeing out of the US, it could be $3 or $4 a barrel.' Why could petrol prices rise? A possible way for Iran to retaliate against the US and Israel is to close off the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a vital trade route used to transport 20 per cent of the world's crude oil, or about 20 million barrels per day. The Iranian parliament has backed closing the strait in response to the US attacks, though this must be approved by Iran's national security council. Oil prices could shoot above $100 per barrel if the strait is closed for a prolonged period, according to Goldman Sachs and consulting firm Rapidan Energy. JPMorgan analysts view the risk of Iran closing Hormuz as low because the US would view such a move as a declaration of war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to help prevent Iran from closing the strait. Rubio said it would be 'economic suicide' for Iran to close the strait because the Islamic Republic's oil exports also pass through the waterway. Currently, it remains open. Khoury said this is 'the most important thing'. 'We do not want Australians panicking,' he said. 'Yes, there is speculation about what could happen in the next days and weeks, but it is the Middle East and anything can happen. 'The other important thing for Australians to know tonight is that if you live in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth, fill up now.' A combination of prices being at or near the bottom of the cycle and turmoil in the Middle East mean now is the time to buy. 'Prices are either in the high $1.60s or in the low $1.70s,' Khoury said. 'That has everything to do with the domestic price cycles in those capital cities. 'The wholesale price in Australia has gone up about eight cents a litre since two Fridays ago when the escalation really flared up between Israel and Iran. 'It will go up again, is the expectation, based on the US decision to attack Iran over the weekend. 'But it's only gone up eight cents a litre in the last week and a bit. 'There's a lot of speculation about what could happen. It's really important that Australians focus on what is happening. 'And what is happening if you live in those bigger cities is that prices are pretty good.' Khoury advised motorists to check fuel prices near them and find the best deal. 'You can find some real bargains,' he said. 'On any given day, there can be huge gaps in the price of the cheapest service station and the price of the most expensive. 'In Sydney today, it's 70 cents a litre. 'Regardless of what's going on in the Middle East or anywhere else, and regardless of where we are in the price cycle, do your research, use the information that you have access to that motorists in other countries don't have. 'We fought hard to get that made public. It's there for you to use.' When asked when the conflict overseas will affect local prices, Khoury said it normally takes about seven to 10 days. Our service stations are yet to buy the more expensive barrels but when that happens, it will have a flow on effect. 'The NRMA will be monitoring those prices really carefully over the next days and weeks, because what we won't tolerate, obviously, is oil companies manipulating what's going on overseas to put their prices up any higher than they should go,' he said. Could we see a global oil crisis? Khoury also emphasised that even if the strait is closed, it would not create a similar crisis to those caused by other recent global conflicts. 'In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia being the second-largest producer of oil,' he said. 'That created an initial shock.' 'Obviously, the world was going to enforce sanctions, and they did. That created an even bigger shock. 'At the same time that that happened, the COVID supply crisis that affected the whole world hit its peak. So we all came out of COVID lockdown at the same time. 'The whole world came out of lockdown at the same time. Demand for oil spiked. Supply could not keep up. So we had probably the worst supply issue or challenge in our lifetime. 'And then Russia invaded Ukraine. 'All of those things had to happen at the same time for Tapis, our regional oil price, to hit $133 a barrel. 'It's currently at $76 a barrel. 'So to get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. 'We're not there yet, clearly, based on oil prices and the wholesale price. 'And I think that's what we want Australians to focus on tonight.'
Canberra Times
an hour ago
- Canberra Times
Call for laws to stop harm to consumers, firms online
"Harms to competition in the generative AI sector could hamper innovation, result in lower quality products and services, and force Australian businesses and consumers to pay more than they otherwise would to utilise this technology," Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Adairs' full-year earnings weighed down by promotional blitz
Home furnishings chain Adairs says it is on track to deliver record sales in the 2025 financial year, but heavy discounting to achieve this had dented margins. In a mixed trading update which sent shares down 18.4 per cent to $2.10 just after midday on Monday, Adairs said full-year sales were forecast to hit between $614 million to $618m, up from last year's $594.4m. Underlying earnings are expected to hit between $53.5m to $57m, which is flat against the $57.6m recorded last year. But the company — also behind furniture brands Focus and Mocka — said elevated promotional activity aimed at driving sales and managing stocks, alongside the weaker Australian dollar, was 'adversely impacting gross margins'. While its flagship Adairs and Mocka businesses were expected to deliver significant earnings before interest and taxes growth on last year, it would be offset by a material decline in the Focus brand, where sales remain challenging despite higher promotional activity. 'Management is evolving the positioning and execution capability of the business alongside the national store roll-out program, which is expected to accelerate in FY26,' the company said. 'Under Adairs' new leadership, significant changes are being implemented across the business, designed to reset the foundations for long-term growth.' Adairs last September named former Country Road managing director Elle Roseby as its new chief executive less than two months after she departed the scandal-ridden fashion house. Adairs is set to release its full-year results on August 27.
