Family double cabs
The inescapable decline of sedans amongst car buyers has accelerated in the last few years with many of those consumers trading up into SUVs. A portion of those buyers have chosen to buy into a bakkie. Automakers know this and the offerings of family oriented utility vehicles have increased to the point that most manufacturers have a utility in their line-up. Many of these vehicles are not currently available in South Africa but for those that are, we often get asked which one is the best for a family.
AutoTrader regularly puts out an industry report that collates data from the car sales market, and we poured through that data to see what consumers are saying with their money when it comes to the which bakkies are best for families. Below, in no particular order, are the bakkies which come up most often in the stats.
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger, in all its different guises, is often the first stop for many families that buy into a bakkie. With an interior that is biased towards comfort and convenience and a drive train that is also road biased, the Ranger ticks many of the boxes that family buyers want.
Toyota Hilux
Toyota's Hilux has remained the number one selling double cab in South Africa month after month in SA. The brand has enjoyed much success but is losing ground to Ford as the blue oval keeps adding comfort and convenience to their offerings. Toyota isn't resting on its laurels though and the Hilux also gets upgrades that lean more towards family convenience.
Volkswagen Amarok
The Amarok claims the prize of premium double cab with its efforts pushed towards a luxury interior with many of the mod cons that you'd find in a Touareg present. It is also the only manufacturer that offers a 3.0l V6 engine option and styling that is geared towards a city lifestyle. Don't be fooled though the Amarok is still very capable off the beaten track!
GWM P Series
The new kid on the block brings all the bells and whistles and everything that opens and closes to market. Not only is it incredibly well specced with technology out the wazoo but also comes in at a very affordable price that is considerably cheaper than its closest competitor. Build quality is excellent while power and torque delivery are on point with the rest of bakkies on this list.
Isuzu D-Max
The Isuzu D-Max is well known in bakkie circles as a very hardy and dependable workhorse that also doubled as the family car. In recent years though, Isuzu has taken steps to update the interior of the D-Max to make it more SUV like while also working on NVH levels and comfort. As of 2019 the D-Max is now right up there with its market competitors in terms of form and fitment.
