adminyou an insight into two leading commercial trucks that have come out of the two countries.
It is my hope that by the time you get through this article you will be in a position to choose between two of these great workhorses.
The light commercial trucks I will be looking at are Volkswagen’s Amarok and the Navara from Nissan.
First stop will be the Nissan Navara. This is a vehicle for those who are into bundu bashing. With 4×4 at the touch of a button, you can never go wrong.
The Navara comes in different styles and you can either opt for the cab and a half or double cab.
The fact that it deviates from the standard single cab gives it an advantage over others.
It has a distinctly new look due to its new front and rear that has no similarity to its predecessor.
The front end is revised with a new designed grille and bumper. The bumper appears to be more curved as seen in most sport cars.
The projector lamp has a new design with Xenon lights. It is fitted with an 18-inch alloy wheel.
Even at the rear end, the bumper has a new design that gives it a commanding look.
Interior design are leather upholstery and touch of chrome can be seen everywhere, I was not too impressed though, since the materials used do not look that durable for my liking.
Doors have been modified and now come with arm rests which gives a comfortable feeling to both the driver and passengers. This truck also comes with generous storage space.
The Nissan Navara is available in different trim options. The LE trim is available with a chocolate-coloured leather interior.
Navara does not lack the common features like stability control, cruise control, surround sound system, etc.
Safety features include the stability control and fully loaded air bags including the side screen air bags.
In terms of power, it churns out about 170kW with 550 Nm torque. Maximum torque is available at a low 1 700 rpm and is available all the way up to 2 500 rpm.
Even at 650 rpm the machine runs smoothly without any noise or vibration. To top it up, it is priced just under US$50 000.
Now to the Volkswagen Amarok, which hit our streets at the end of 2011. It is stylish but fit for rough work or roads.
For a commercial truck, its handling and suspension is very good. In fact, it is way ahead of some trucks that I have driven.
The Amarok range consists of single cab and double cab, combined with either rear-wheel drive or 4motion four-wheel drive, and is powered by Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engines.
VW considers their flagship truck to be in this same region as the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton.
The Amarok is powered by a range of Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) common rail diesel engines and Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) petrol engine.
The engine range consists of two 2,0L Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) common rail diesel engines which is taken from the Volkswagen_Transporter_(T5), it has been tuned for more torque but less power; the entry-level version produces 90kW which develops a maximum torque of 340 N·m from 2 000 rpm.
The top of the line bi-turbo version produces 120kW which develops a maximum torque of 400 N·m from 1 500 rpm.
Fuel consumption in a combined cycle format is as low as 7,6 L/100 km on the rear wheel drive variant to 8,1 L/100 km on the 4Motion theoretically giving the Amarok a 1 000km range before filling up for fuel.
The Amarok has three drive concepts: Rear wheel drive, Shiftable 4Motion and Permanent 4Motion.
The Shiftable all-wheel-drive system can shift drive between the axles whereas the Permanent full time all wheel drive system distributes power through a Torque Sensing (Torsen) differential with a 40:60 ratio between the front and rear axles.
It is available in base version, Trendline and Highline.
The base version comes equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, height-adjustable front seats, variable folding rear bench seats, locking glove box, cargo platform lighting, antenna integrated within wing mirrors, manual window regulators, manual door locking and manual wing mirror adjustment. The front bumper, wing mirrors and door handles come in black.
The pick-up’s active and passive safety systems and convenience features all match up to passenger car levels.
Yet the Amarok is extremely rugged. In both concept and style, the Volkswagen Amarok is clearly influenced by the new Volkswagen Design DNA.
This is reflected in its typical emphasis of horizontal lines, in the well-defined interplay of body surfaces and high precision of its workmanship.
Specifically, one of its most prominent identifying features is the visual unit formed by the horizontal headlights and radiator grille and decorative trim accents.
The cleanly sculpted curvatures of the pick-up’s side body panels and engine hood give the Amarok the typical rugged look of a pickup.
At the rear, the prominent Volkswagen logo catches the eye on the tailgate whose smooth surface still embodies a high level of excitement.
It is framed by the pick-up’s tail-lights whose distinctive signature is their characteristic night design.
The truck’s exceptional interior dimensions make it the most spacious in its class.
Easy entry, a generous seating layout and lots of headroom characterise the workspace behind the wheel.
Ample legroom on the rear bench also makes the Amarok a full-fledged five-seater. When only two persons are aboard, the rear seat folds to increase interior cargo space. The Amarok is truly a Wolf, the meaning of Amarok in the Inuit language.
What more can you ask for . . . starting from a little under US$40 000, this could be yours only from FCM along Samora Machel Avenue.
The Nissan Navara is available at Amtec, Croco, Nissan Cloverleaf, AMC and various other dealers authorised by Nissan Zimbabwe. Take your pick.
Till next week . . . keep pumping it.
l Fact D. Jeke is a motoring enthusiast who has attended auto shows, rallies and has written for various publications in the region for the last decade. She can be contacted via email on [email protected]
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