Double cab bonanza.

(From Business Day (South Africa))

Byline: FRANCOIS RABE

Double cab bonanza The space race is on. A big new KB, a bigger Hilux, an even bigger Navara and a huge F250. South Africans are finally buying into the 'trucks' so craved by the Americans. looks at the market and gives a rundown of the model choices on offer THE sturdy farm bakkie has come a long way. No longer a mere workhorse that has to earn its keep from dawn to dusk, it has spawned double-cab variants that allow owners to go out and play.

Spoilt for choice, South African bakkie lovers now have access to 11 model lines, with 47 variants from nine manufacturers and importers. It is interesting to see how the buyers respond to the individual model lines in terms of configuration and power choices, how options and maintenance plans often sway a choice from one to another, and how, of late, prices of new models have dropped (realigned pricing in market-speak) and value-added packages like extended maintenance contracts have increased.

The light commercial segment of the market is one of the largest and has always been a strong indicator of the economic wellbeing of SA's economy. Last year the …