SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
*To read one of our road tests, just select from the menu on the left.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.
Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday December 22, 2010
The body:
It's really big, but you will adjust. In the meantime, be careful about swinging it in and out of shopping centre parking slots. Rear park distance control is R2 600 extra. Just thought I'd mention it. The bin takes a DIN-sized pallet between the wheel arches; so if that's what you have to move, go for it. There are four lashing rings, a 12-volt power point and an overhead light back there, so it's pretty versatile.
The engine:
A 1 968 cc bi-turbo CRD puts out 120 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque. These numbers match or exceed those put out by its two biggest competitors from Toyota and Nissan, using 3,0 and 2,5 litre engines. Effective sound deadening means you can scarcely hear the engine from inside and it's smooth. The gearbox is a six-speed manual, with top gear best kept for cruising.
Inside:
Pretty conservative in the best VW tradition, without too many textures and colours. Good quality hard plastics, because VW knows that some of you put your feet up on the dash (you do what?). Tough cloth upholstery, but leather is an option at R6 400 on Highline models. The seats are among the nicest one can find in a pickup - firm but supportive. You might even forget your lower back pain on long trips. There's no music interface, but it's the German way, apparently. Pay the extra R620 and be done with it.
Plenty of head- and kneeroom for those in the back. Easy entry and exit for them as well, thanks to zero doorsills and two grab handles at each doorway. Two cupholders in front, two in back and one sticking out of the dash. There's a fair sized cubby and two drawers under the front seats. One contains the first aid kit and the other is good for personal documents or a smallish novel.
Dual zone automatic air conditioning keeps things cool and selectors for ESP, rear difflock, off road (optimises your ESP, traction control and ABS for dirt), 4x2, 4x4 high and 4x4 low set the menu for fun. There are makeup mirrors on both sunvisors, so both of you can drive it.
Overall impressions:
Built for work, play and travelling in comfort. Well mannered on dirt. Give it a look; you know you want to.
The numbers
Price: R390 000
Engine: 1 968 cc biturbo CRD
Power: 120 kW at 4 000 rpm
Torque: 400 Nm at 1 500 to 2 000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12.5 seconds
Maximum speed: 181 km/h
Fuel index: 9.5 l/100 km
Tank: 80 litres
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Service plan: 5 years/90 000 km
Filed on: 2012.07.21
Responding to calls for its range-topping Amarok Highline double cab pickups to be given a touch more top end performance, VW has obliged.
Engine remapping raised power from 120 kW to 132, but maximum torque remains at its original level of 400 Nm. Further, the band is slightly wider, maintaining maximum grunt up to 2250 rpm, an increase of 250 revs. The 90 kW motor fitted to Trendline models remains as is.
Gearing received attention with the first two ratios now slightly lower, permitting pull-off in second gear if desired. Performance improves as well, with the zero to 100 sprint happening half a second more quickly, in 10,6 seconds and maximum speed increasing to 183 km/h. Volkswagen spokespeople added that clutch action, subject of earlier criticism, had been refined, making the vehicle less prone to stalling on take-off.
Of interest to commercial users, gross combined mass (GCM) increases to 5550 kg and maximum braked trailer mass on a 12 percent gradient goes up to 3000 kg from the previous level of 2800 kg.
Specification levels, in terms of both safety and convenience items, are unchanged.
Prices:
132 kW Highline double cab 4x2: R375 100
132 kW Highline double cab 4Motion: R425 300
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Service plan: 5 years/90 000 km, at 15 000 km intervals
What We Do
This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.
What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.
So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!
Comments?
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8