It’s the inside that counts
After a thorough evaluation on the road to Klipbokkop, like a game of dusty musical chairs, the team began to circulate through each bakkie on the gravel ride and drive. The best way to form an impression of each vehicle’s packaging,
t-and- nish and build quality was to drive them back to back.
Starting with the cheapest offerings; the Mahindra, JAC and Isuzu feel like they hail from another decade. they are unwaveringly solid and undoubtedly the most workmanlike, but among more upmarket and re ned offerings – some not that much more expensive it must be said – they were left at the back of the pecking order. From the lower tier, it’s the Pik Up that does well to elevate its standing with comfortable armrests and a spacious cabin. Both the Chinese bakkies exhibited the odd niggling creak and squeak – the T8’s driver’s seat and the P-series’ dashboard – although the latter did eventually right itself.the P-series is hugely spacious and nished with plenty of excellent soft-touch points.
It was the Mazda that showed the biggest variance in scores and ranked lower than many anticipated. Some loved its minimalist cabin, slick tablet-like infotainment system and climate-control toggles, while others questioned the
imsy door cards, the assortment of shiny, hard plastics and hard-toread digital display in the instrument binnacle. Dust intrusion into the cabin was also a factor.
This is a criticism that could not be levelled at the basic but solid Toyota Hilux Raider and Mitsubishi Triton in the mid-pack. They may have fewer toys than their rivals but they are ergonomically sound and built to last.
The generously equipped Navara goes the whole hog with an interior layout to rival any of Nissan’s latest passenger cars.
The VW Amarok, despite lacking some surprise and delight and making do with one of the smaller infotainment screens here, shone through in the back-to-back drives with the familiarity and ease of use of its controls.
It was the Ranger in XLT FX4 guise, however, that delivered the best interior ambience when all the votes were tallied. This late-model offering is a far cry from the rough-and-tough Ranger cabins of yore. In 2021, the Blue Oval is all about superb noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) suppression, plush seats, an excellent range of adjustment for that instantly right driving position, and plenty of attractive cabin architecture. The only criticism we can level at it is we’d prefer dials rather than buttons for the climate control.
Elegant design fused with bulletproof build quality in the Ranger XLT FX4 makes for a standout interior