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South Africa has just concluded its first-ever Bakkie of the Year competition, which was held at the recent Nampo Cape exhibition in Bredasdorp in the Western Cape.
The event was a massive showcase for any and all things relating to the agricultural sector, including the 4x4s that are a vital tool to thousands of South Africans.
This year, it was decided that an official South African Bakkie of the Year (SABOTY) competition would be established with the purpose of evaluating the country’s high-riders according to different criteria, in order to determine which models in the current market stand out above the rest.
The contenders
A total of seven manufacturers participated in the competition, consisting of GWM, Isuzu, Mahindra, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, and VW.
This list has a few noticeable absences, namely Ford, JAC, Mazda, and Toyota, who all had different reasons as to why they did not attend.
Ford chose not to apply because it did not want to pay the R40,000 entry fee and because its Ranger has already won the coveted Car of the Year Award in June this year, while Toyota’s entrant to the competition – the new Hilux Raider X – was not ready in time to participate.
Likewise, JAC’s still-upcoming T9 was not able to feature as its representative, and Mazda declined to participate because of the small sale numbers of its BT-50.
Consequently, the vehicles that attended the SABOTY assessment were as follows:
GWM P-Series 2.0TD LTD 4×4 AT
Isuzu D-Max 3.0TD 4×4 V-Cross AT
Mahindra Pik Up 2.2 S11 Karoo Storm
Mitsubishi Triton 2.4 DI-DC 4×4 AT Xtreme
Nissan Navara 2.5 DDTI Pro-4X 4×4 AT
Peugeot Landtrek 4Action Africa Edition 4×4 6AT
VW Amarok PanAmericana 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion AT
VW Amarok PanAmericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion
These models were broken down into three power categories (100-120kW, 121-150kW, and 151-190kW), and were evaluated according to their off-road performance on dirt and tar tracks near Franschhoek.
They were also considered for day-to-day factors like cost-of-ownership, value-for-money, and their warranty and service plans.
The winners of the three different power categories for the inaugural South African Bakkie of the Year competition were as follows:
Furthermore, the judges declared the 3.0-litre VW Amarok as the overall winner of the competition, citing its performance, ride comfort, and high-quality interior as its determining factors.
“After extensive evaluation, we can confidently declare the Amarok Panamericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4 Motion a worthy winner,” said Dirk Gallowitz, convener of the SABOTY competition.
Another notable contender was the Mahindra Pik Up 2.2 S11 Karoo Storm, which came out ahead of its rivals in the cost-of-ownership category.
A privately-owned Toyota Hilux GR-Sport was also submitted to the tribunal and was scored, but because it was not an official entry, it was not included in the results.
2023 South African Bakkie of the Year – VW Amarok PanAmericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion
Detailed below are the winners of the 2023 SABOTY competition.
Click on the underlined names to visit TopAuto Car Prices for information on pricing and new models on offer from the various manufacturers.
Cost-of-ownership category – Mahindra Pik Up 2.2 S11 Karoo Storm
100-120kW category – GWM P-Series 2.0TD LTD 4×4 AT
121-150kW category – Nissan Navara 2.5 DDTI Pro-4X 4×4 AT
151-190kW category – VW Amarok PanAmericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion
Contributed by TopAuto www.topauto.co.za
