ALWYN VILJOEN crunched the numbers to list SA’s current top value
workhorses
 |
| This wood-clad Ford is not SA's top workhorse, but shows what locals expect from their bakkies |
ASK any aspirational
driver in South Africa what he — and especially she — would buy with those Lotto
winnings and the answer is as likely to be “a 4x4 double cab bakkie” as it is a
“Mercedes SLS”.
Toyota alone sells on
average 155 Raiders a month, closely followed by the 2012 Ford Ranger, which has
so far this year averaged 141 month diesel 4x4 sales.
There are 15
manufacturers competing in this market, and Foton’s Tunland — launched last week
— has pushed the number of 4x4 double cabs on sale in SA to 39.
The average price for a
4x4 double cab in SA is R348 187.
China Motor Corporation
sells the lowest-priced 4x4 double cab in SA, with their CMC MC Plutus 4x4
listed at R184 990.
 |
| Nissan's 550 Nm Navara is the strongest 4x4 double cab in South Africa in 2012. |
Nissan’s 550 Nm Navara
V6 dCi automatic is SA’s most expensive 4x4 double cab, but the strongest,
retailing for R548 000.
The Hilux 4,0 V6 Raider
models are some R81 000 cheaper, and the BT50 and Ranger in manual mode save
some R90k on the top end Navara.
When it comes to
choosing between these 39 double cab 4x4 models, most buyers are bewildered by
the alphabet soup of specifications, listing ESP, ABS, EBD, AC, EW, SP, Mt, with
6m or 7a transmissions with DL or LSD.
This is why we asked a
couple of KZN farmers and builders what they really want in their 4x4 bakkies.
Their answers boil down
to “lots of power” and “a strong clutch”.
All the other letters,
they say, are for city slickers whose only adventure in their 4x4 bakkies
happens at the wash bay. Bear in mind that an engine’s power is not measured in
kilo-Watts (kW), but in Newton metres (Nm). Put simply, the Newtons tell you how
big the engine’s muscles are, while the Watts tell you how fast the engine can
move those muscles.
Power, however, tells
only half a bakkie’s story. To get the full picture, a buyer should combine
price and power to get a rough guide of the value that is on offer.
The average price of the
39 4x4 double cabs in SA is R348 187, and
Isuzu’s KB 240 LE is
priced close to this sweet spot at R342 600.
 |
| VW's Amarok is both beautiful and its clutch is made for towing. |
The current average
industry per Newton metre is 1 108,84 R/Nm, with the VW Amarok Highline almost
there at 1 088,75 R/nm.
As can be expected,
Chinese bakkies top the value list, with the top five positions going to Great
Wall Motor (GMW); Jiangling Motor Corporation (JMC); and China Motor Corporation
(CMC).
GWM charge the least for
power at 743,30 R/Nm for its Steed 5, while Nissan’s charges the most, with
1 796 R/Nm in their NP300 Hardbody.
The surprise entry in
the fourth spot is VW’s timeless Transporter TDi, at 884 R/Nm. Foton’s new
Tunland comes in at number 6, charging 930 R/Nm for the impressive Cummins
engine, which generates 360 Nm.
The entry level Ranger
and Mazda fill out the Top 10 Power for Money 4x4s, both wanting some 950 R/nm,
including six airbags, good warrantees and a service plan for the price.
 |
| Coming in at Nr 8 in price, Tata's Xenon 4x4 is well worth a tyre kick for bargain hunters. |
Top 10 Strongest 4x4 double cabs
1.
Navara V6 dCi auto
550 Nm
2.
Ford Ranger XLT
470 Nm
3.
BT50 SLE
470 Nm
4.
Ford Ranger XLT auto
470 Nm
5.
BT50 SLE auto
470 Nm
6.
Navara dCi LE
450 Nm
7.
Navara dCi LE auto
450 Nm
8.
Defender 110 Crewcab E
420 Nm
9.
Navara dCi XE
403 Nm
10.
Navara dCi SE
403 Nm
Top 10 Lowest-priced 4x4 double cabs:
1.
CMC Plutus
R184 990
2.
JMC Boarding
R189 880
3.
CMC Plutus
R199 990
4.
GWM Steed 5 Lux MP
RI20 490
5.
CMC Plutus
R214 990
6.
GWM Steed 5 Lux TCI
R222 990
7.
GWM Steed 5 Lux TCI
R242 990
8.
Xenon DLE
R245 495
9.
Scorpio Pick-up CRDe
R259 900
10.
Scorpio Pick-up CRDe Adventure
R284 900
Top 10 Least Rands, most power 4x4s:
1.
GWM Steed 5 Lux TCI
743.30 R/Nm
2.
JMC Boarding
808.00 R/Nm
3.
GWM Steed 5 Lux TCI
809.97 R/Nm
4.
Transporter Tdi
884.75 R/Nm
5.
CMC Plutus
921.61 R/Nm
6.
Foton Tunland Comfort
930.42 R/Nm
7.
CMC Plutus
943.83 R/Nm
8.
Navara dCi XE
950.37 R/Nm
9.
Ford Ranger XLT
950.45 R/Nm
10.
Mazda BT50 SLE
959.34 R/Nm
• Visit the mobisite ‘thedriverdigest.blogspot.com’ for listings of
all 39 models of 4x4 bakkies on sale in SA today.
