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This article has been updated and republished with Ford's reason for not entering the 2023 Bakkie of the Year competition lower in the article, on 19 September 2023.
- The inaugural South Africa Bakkie of the Year has concluded.
- The Volkswagen Amarok was crowned the winner at the Nampo Cape exhibition in Bredasdorp.
- Various bakkies participated in the event, but Ford, Mazda, JAC Motors and Toyota did not join.
South Africa's inaugural Bakkie of the Year competition wrapped up with the announcement of its first winner at the Nampo Cape exhibition in Bredasdorp, the largest agricultural hub in the greater Cape Agulhas, on Saturday.
After undergoing an extensive evaluation, which was divided into three distinct disciplines (4×4 driving and capability tests, off-road performance tests, and towing performance on- and off-road), the Volkswagen Amarok Panamericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion was crowned the winner of the 2023 South African Bakkie of the Year (SABOTY) competition.
For the first time, a dedicated SABOTY competition was established with the purpose of evaluating and appraising specific requirements, as well as expected critical performance measurements.
The requirements were addressed and evaluated in a measurable, repeatable, and verifiable manner.
The new VW Amarok Panamericana 3.0 V6 TDI bakkie, which launched in South Africa earlier this year, impressed the SABOTY jury, consisting of leading specialist motoring journalists and industry experts, with its impressive dynamics and towing capability, comfortable on- and off-road ride performance, and high-quality interior.
READ | SA's first Bakkie of the Year: Which one will pick-up top spot?
In terms of the categories, the Peugeot Landtrek Africa Edition, Mahindra Pik Up Karoo Dusk and GWM P-Series LTD competed in the 100-125 kW category, the Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme, Nissan Navara Pro-4X, Isuzu D-Max V-Cross and VW Amarok PanAmericana 2.0 BiTDI competed in the middle category (up to 150 kW) and the Hilux competed against the Amarok 3.0 V6 TDI in the top category.
Category winners
After rigorous evaluation in the different disciplines, all the points were tallied and audited (including the cost of ownership, as supplied by Lightstone, and value for money in terms of retail price, warranties and service plans); the winners of the different categories were:
100 - 120kW category: GWM P-Series LTD (120kW)
121 - 150kW category: Nissan Navara Pro4X 4×4 AT (140kW)
151 - 190kW category: Volkswagen Amarok Panamericana 3.0 V6 TDI (184kW)
However, in terms of the lowest cost of ownership, the Mahindra Pik Up 2.2 S11 Karoo Storm was adjudged the best bakkie.
For the towing tests, Marius Ras from Mobi Lodge Adventure Caravans supplied two camping trailer models – a small MobiX off-road trailer and the top-of-the-range Mobi Lodge – with the less powerful bakkies towing the smaller model. At the same time, the most powerful contenders were also tested with the big caravan.
The same test was repeated in off-road conditions, and the power of the Volkswagen Amarok Panamericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion also assured it of victory in this category.
The 4×4 tests at the Klipbokkop Off-Road Academy included terrain involving sand, rock and shale, and wheel articulation and traction testing. It also included measurable evaluations, such as a dirt-road braking test and wheel travel measurements.
The jury commented on how discernible the differences were between the contenders when tested back-to-back in the same conditions.
The Volkswagen Amarok Panamericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion again earned the laurels.
The performance tests were conducted under Sarel van der Merwe's auspices on suitable tar and dirt roads close to Franschhoek. All performance aspects (acceleration, braking and handling) were evaluated, and there were some surprising results… However, with the evaluation concluded, the smaller Volkswagen Amarok, the PanAmericana 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion AT, was declared the winner.
Dirk Gallowitz, convener of the SA Bakkie of the Year competition, congratulated Volkswagen South Africa on the Amarok's victory.
"After extensive evaluation, we can confidently declare the Amarok Panamericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4 Motion a worthy winner," he said.
"The Amarok impressed the jurors in virtually all aspects and proved itself a great all-rounder by winning two categories, besides the overall accolade.
"The first Bakkie of the Year competition has set a new benchmark for the evaluation of vehicles in the highly popular and hugely competitive pickup category, and we look forward to again presenting this competition next year, perhaps looking at different models within the same segment."
All manufacturers with suitable vehicles were invited to participate, and the participants (in no particular order) in the competition were the following:
- GWM P-Series 2.0TD LTD 4×4 AT;
- Mahindra Pik Up 2.2 S11 Karoo Storm;
- Peugeot Landtrek 4Action Africa Edition 4×4 6AT;
- Mitsubishi Triton 2.4 DI-DC 4×4 AT Xtreme;
- Isuzu D-Max 3.0 Ddi 4×4 V-Cross AT;
- Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion AT; and
- Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion.
Previously, we reported that BOTY organisers had said Ford had declined the invitation to participate, and that Ford of Southern Africa indicated that the Car of the Year accolade for the Ranger was good enough for the company.
However, Ford SA has since told News24 Motoring that BOTY's reason is not correct, but rather because the automaker was not willing to pay the R40 000 fee to participate, and not because of its previous accolade.
Toyota South Africa said the 2.4-litre Hilux Raider X considered for entry could not be launched in time.
Also not entered was the Mazda BT50. Mazda South Africa declined to participate because small numbers of the BT50 are sold locally and the JAC T9 double-cab bakkie could not be homologated in time.
For the competition, a privately owned Toyota Hilux Double Cab 2.8 4×4 GR-S AT was evaluated and scored. Still, since it was not an official entry, its results were not included in the final scoring.
The next competition will take place in 2025 to allow enough time for new models to be launched in the local market.
