- Bakkies, or pick-up trucks, are one of South Africa’s most popular vehicle segments. Every month, the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger compete for first place.
When we think of the greatest bakkies in South Africa, we automatically think of the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, but there are a number more brands on the list that you wouldn’t anticipate.
The Toyota Hilux is without a doubt the most popular bakkie in our country. The automaker sold 1 368 units in May.
Ford is generally a close second, but due to worldwide stock concerns, they’ve been dealing with supply constraints rather than demand. However, the Blue Oval brand managed to outsell the bakkie king last month, selling 1,548 Ranger vehicles as a result of some recovery from their severe global chip shortage crisis. It’s also worth noting that Toyota’s overall sales results have been severely damaged by the horrific flood damage at their Durban factory two months ago.
Nissan is in third place, and it’s not because of the gorgeous Navara. The new double cab bakkie sold 461 units in May, but the NP200 is the Japanese automaker’s mainstay in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market, with 1 066 units sold.
Fourth is Isuzu’s stunning new D-Max, which trailed Toyota by 1 163 bakkies sold. This bakkie may not be everyone’s cup of tea or beer over the braai, but it has come out guns blazing, knowing it has two well-established rivals leading the market in South Africa. Nonetheless, its sales figures are commendable. It’s undeniably the best-looking version they’ve ever created.
The new D-Max comes fully equipped with basic features as well as a slew of passive and active safety features never seen before on the long-running brand. These kinds of features put the new bakkie on par with the top-of-the-line Hilux and Ranger models.
We presently have the 3.0-litre V-Cross Ddi 4X4 automatic variant in our Wheels24 test garage, and it never fails to pique the interest of passers-by. The engine produces 140kW and 450Nm and is paired to a six-speed automated transmission. This top-of-the-line model costs R814 700, which may seem expensive when compared to Toyota’s top model, the 2.8-litre GD6 4X4 Legend RS automatic, which costs R917 900.
Mahindra is ranked fifth. The Indian automaker also performs well in the passenger category, selling 442 vehicles in May, with the KUV and XUV300 accounting for the majority of the sales.
Mahindra sold 688 Scorpio Pik-Up vehicles in the LCV sector. And in our current economic downturn, that’s a very excellent statistic to be proud of, especially when you’re outselling VW’s Amarok, which only sold 208 units in the month.
Which bakkie consumes the least amount of fuel?
R298,952 for a Ford Ranger 2.2 DCI Double Cab.
R314,733 for a Mitsubishi Triton.
R371,043 for a Nissan Navara.
R418,656 for an Isuzu D-Max 250 Double Cab.
R455,071 for a Toyota Hilux 2.4GD-6 Double Cab.
What is South Africa’s fastest bakkie?
The Amarok ran from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.14 seconds and from 0 to 160 km/h in 21.27 seconds. It had a top speed of 207 km/h. The 190 kW Amarok is the fastest double cab in South Africa.
