You may need an entry-level workhorse for your small business, but even if you don't plan on driving it yourself, you need to ensure that it meets basic safety requirements. After all, it's not a given that your employee has medical insurance, and should there be an accident, the repercussions can be far-reaching. So, should you opt for a Nissan NP300 Hardbody or rather look into another used bakkie that has better safety credentials?
Let's look at what the NP 300 Hardbody offers first, safety-wise:
1. Two airbags
2. ABS (anti-locking) brakes
3. Front fog lamps
The NP300 also has central locking.
What were the NP300 Hardbody's crash test results?
Despite its 'Hardbody' nomenclature, the NP300 crumpled like a piece of paper when the AA subjected it to its frontal crash test at 64 km/h, illustrating that, despite airbags and ABS, a vehicle's structural integrity is mostly the difference between life and death:
"The NP300 Hardbody achieved an alarming zero-star rating for its poor adult occupant protection mainly in the driver head and chest areas in the frontal crash test at 64km/h. The vehicle structure collapsed during the crash test, and it was rated as unstable. The steering wheel column did not collapse penetrating the passengers’ compartment, creating an additional risk for the driver as it moved straight into the dummy chest. This performance showed a significant risk of injuries for the driver despite the car being equipped with double frontal airbags.
"The high probability of life-threatening injuries to the driver’s head and chest resulted in the zero star adult occupant protection rating. Even with an airbag the driver’s head and chest showed high bio-mechanical readings. The NP300 ‘Hardbody’ achieved two stars for child occupant protection, the low result is mainly explained by the decision of the car manufacturer to install one of the Child seats without following Child seat manufacturer clear instructions", reports the AA.
So, would you buy a bakkie, knowing that the driver will probably lose his life in a head-on collision, which usually occurs at much higher speeds? No, we wouldn't either.
But what other bakkie is affordable and safe?
You would have to buy a lightly-used vehicle in order to have proper protection, such as the Isuzu D-MAX 250 Fleetside Safety, which retails at R372 300, new. The Safety variant has ABS, brake assist, hill-start assist, traction control, stability control, hill-descent control, and two airbags. It does not have remote central locking or fog lamps, but that's no dealbreaker. The D-MAX 250 Fleetside Safety also has a 5-year / 90 000 km service plan, while you have to pay for this privilege in the NP300 Hardbody, which retails from R317 900.
The choice is a no-brainer.
