Big Bakkie Showdown

I just love hybrid vehicles. No not that green, goody-two-shoes, environmentally friendly junk, I mean proper dual purpose vehicles. Dual purpose as in a Ferrari FF that is both a supercar and a hot hatch. Okay, maybe I’m not using the term hybrid correctly, but how else would I classify luxury pick-ups?

We put the Volkswagen Amarok, Isuzu KB and Nissan Navara head to head to determine which bakkie is the best luxury bakkie on the market. While all three are a clear step away from traditional bakkie design, the Amarok and Isuzu certainly stand out. The Navara, while not a bad looking vehicle in itself, feels like yesteryear; mostly likely because it is.

The design is a few years old and in definite need of a refresh. While the Isuzu is newer, the VW does have the edge in styling. The clear cut lines and aggressive stance give it a menacing persona on the road.

That’s one point to the Amarok. When it comes to loading, the Amarok takes the lead again. The 2.52 square metre tray is the longest (1555mm), widest (1620mm) and deepest (508mm) in its class, exceeding that of some competitors by as much as 25%.

It’ll take a full Euro pallet (1200x800mm) sideways between wheel wells which are separated to the tune of 1222mm – also unique to class. Where the Japanese have traditionally mounted the rear leaf springs beneath their ladder frame chassis, the Germans have opted for a unique side mounting design with the Amarok. This allows for a lower centre of gravity and cuts overall height, while maintaining a high 249mm ground clearance. Cleverly it makes for tall side walls (hence deeper load box) and a low load sill height of 780mm.

That’s two for the Germans.

Isuzu fights back in the motor department. By far the smoothest motor of the bunch with plenty power on tap, the Isuzu diesel lump is seriously impressive. Petrol variants in the Navara are also worth a mention thanks to a very punchy V6 version.

VW aims to impress with a small capacity bi-turbo 2.0l diesel, but we found it a bit pap on serious trails. That’s one point to Isuzu and Nissan each.

German vehicles are famous for their interiors and the Amarok is no different. The Amarok is spacious, luxurious and very well put together, a stark contrast against the Nissan and Isuzu with cheap, easy to clean materials.

Fit and finish on both are great, though. Judging on luxury alone, that’s another point for the VW.

There’s no denying that all three bakkies will easily manage what 98% of their owners will throw at them. Pavement parking, grocery shopping and long hauls. When things get rougher, things get interesting, though. The Isuzu and Navara both handled all grade three obstacles with ease, only snagging the Tupperware bumpers on the more technical bits. Approach and departure angles on both are perfectly suited to the harsher stuff. The Amarok, unfortunately, did not fair as well. Approach angle is much lower and it often struggled to get up steeper hills in the mud when it didn’t catch the front bumper.

Never-the-less, it still managed a fair bit of the course. The Isuzu just had that little bit of extra grunt to get it up and over. Another point for the Isuzu

So the clear winner here is the Amarok, or is it? Well, no, all three of them are. They may seem very similar, but in all honesty, all three will easily manage what most expect from them. If you expect to do grade three to four trails, get a Defender pickup. For the rest, get whichever you like best, they are all magnificent machines.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.