Work ethic

When I first laid eyes on this new Chinese bakkie, it reminded me of those hawkers that sell fake sunglasses at just about every major intersection around Jo’burg. I mean, the body is almost carbon copy of the previous generation Isuzu KB, while the front end, barring the grille, is an almost exact replica of the high-spec Nissan Hardbodys.

In truth, this new bakkie from Great Wall Motors, simply called the Single Cab, is quite a mix-match of different old-generation bakkies. Though it’s all manufactured at GWM’s Chinese plant, the body, chassis and suspension is indeed derived from Isuzu, while the engine is based on the 4Y engine used in the Toyota Siyaya and old-shape Hilux.

If you can get past the cloned styling of this GWM, it’s actually not bad looking at all. And judging by some of the other new vehicles coming out of that Chinese factory, it’s almost certain that the brand’s designs will become more distinctive in the future. Step inside and you’re faced with an old Isuzu dashboard, but luckily the guys at GWM’s local operation have sourced a far more tasteful interior trim than the pre-production model we saw last month. It’s decked out in dark grey with a few alloy inserts and the overall feel is really not bad for something at this price level. We couldn’t find fault with the interior build quality either, although the driver’s door proved very reluctant to close properly, often requiring a powerful slam.

The cabin of this Lux model is well specified. It’s got air-conditioning and power steering as well as a reverse radar and leatherette seats. The Lux is also well endowed in the styling department, with alloy wheels, full colour coding and alloy wheels.

It’s when it came to taking the road in this bakkie that we expected things to fall apart. How wrong we were. The driving controls all work impeccably and easily and the torquey engine delivers its grunt low down and as a result this bakkie has no trouble keeping up with fast-paced traffic. It is based on the proven 2.2-litre 4-cylinder Toyota unit, except it’s fuel injected in this application. Its outputs of 78kW and 190Nm are not earth-shattering, and nor are the performance times attained, but for a workhorse type bakkie it’s more than adequate.

Its ride quality and road holding are also on the decent side of the equation – we’d say on par with the average workhorse bakkie of ten years ago. The steering feels rather vague, but then that’s really par for the course here.

The GWM might be an unproven entity on this market, and there’s really no telling how durable it’ll prove in the long run, but if you want to save a lot of money and take that leap of faith then this could prove a solid bargain over its lifetime as a workhorse. Think about it – the latest generation of Jap bakkies have become a lot more comfortable and refined in recent times, but also a lot more expensive to the detriment of many business owners. The GWM hails the return of the basic workhorse bakkie that you became accustomed to a decade ago. And if you want to skimp on the comfort features this version offers, you can even have a more basic version for just R89 990.