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Service business workhorse: 2022 JAC X200 double-cab

The exception

Posted: February 8, 2022

The numbers
Price: R337 400
Engine: See text
Power: 80 kW at 3600 rpm
Torque: 240 Nm between 1800 and 2000 rpm
0-100 km/h: Sometime today
Top speed: 120 km/h
Overall fuel consumption (claimed): 9.5 l/100 km
Tank: 65 litres
Ground clearance: 170 mm
Turning circle: 11.5 metres
Standard tyre: 195/70R15C, 10PR
Payload: 1300 kg
Maximum braked towing capacity: 1250 kg
Warranty: Five years, 150 000 km
Service plan: Five years, 60 000 km at specified intervals

Back in the day, owners of small service businesses could transport work crews in the open bins of one-ton single cab pickups. But it was unsafe to do so, and the traffic authorities banned the practice.

The only practical recourse, if one has more than one or two crew members apart from the driver, is to use a dual-cab vehicle. And, in most instances, lose valuable bin- and carrying capacity as a result.

The exception is JAC Motors’ X200 drop-side, double-cab pickup that can accommodate up to six people. Priced noticeably lower than most dual-cabs apart from a couple of Mahindra products, its only apparent shortcoming is that it has no airbags. Included, however, are ABS, powered windows, air conditioning, front- and rear crumple zones, side-impact protection bars, height-adjustable headlamps, immobiliser, remote controlled central locking with motion lock at 40 km/h, and a Radio/CD/MP3 player with Bluetooth.

Its bin is much the same size as that of, for example, an Isuzu single-cab and its rated carrying capacity is 1.3 tons. That’s vs. 800- to about 1100 kg in most others.

Built on a sturdy ladder frame chassis, suspension is by means of double wishbones in front and two-part leaf springs at the rear. Brakes are disc and drum while steering assistance is old-school hydraulic. Unlike conventional pickups that allow loading and unloading from the back end only, or grunt-and-lift over the sides, X200’s drop-side configuration, along with a loading deck height of only 785 mm, allows quick and easy access to loads. That includes heavier items stacked close to the cab to improve weight distribution.

Power comes from a Chinese-partner version of Isuzu’s 2771 cc, four-cylinder, 4JB1-T turbodiesel. It’s a simple device; SOHC, eight valves and direct fuel injection from Bosch. Output is rated at 80 kW and 240 Nm, so it’s not the most powerful machine in the toolbox but it gets the job done. That’s helped along by low gearing, as may be deduced from its top speed of 120 km/h.

Part of the reason for its being 10 km/h slower overall than its single-cab twin is extra weight – 1845 kg vs 1685. It is also 325 mm longer so its turning circle is 700 mm wider, at 11.5 metres vs 10.8.

The two-part front seats can accommodate three if the need arises but the occupants had better be close friends because space is rather tight. When carrying only driver and one crew member up front, the centre seat’s backrest can fold down to reveal a nice big oddments tray and a couple of cup holders. The door bins offer space for small juice bottles and are suitably narrow to accommodate clip boards without flopping about.

Headroom is good at both ends but leg space in the back is somewhat awkward because the housing for the under-seat engine protrudes back into the passenger area. We also found that the backrest was a little too upright for long distance comfort.

Taking these factors, and its limited top speed into account, we would not recommend it as a day-to-day, or long-distance, family bus. But that’s not its stated design purpose, is it?

Test unit from JAC Pietermaritzburg


Lowering the centre seatback reveals this oddments tray and cup holders

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This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

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