Discover the Ford Wildtrak Super Cab: a new era in bakkie performance and comfort
Image: Kevin Ritchie
The age-old questions about bakkies have always been: what do you do with only two seats in front, and how do you protect the stuff in the back?
The answer for the first was the double cab, which started hitting South African roads in the 1980s, evolving from a cab and a half with facing jump seats behind the driver and passenger until it effectively became a sedan with a 'bak' in terms of quality and space.
The second answer was the either/or option of a tarpaulin or a fibre glass canopy, clipped onto the load bay of a single cab, which, with the addition of a foam mattress, could double as a kid's playground or a teenager's fantasy at the Drive-In.
This was the general fate for single cabs, which for much of their history seemed relegated to a life of commercial drudgery, with the same lack of respect as those destined to operate them.
Breaking preconceptions
Ford's Wildtrak Super Cab shatters all these preconceptions.
Equipped with a lockable, retractable tonneau cover, the load box is as secure as any boot in any car, while the Super Cab, effectively a 11½ cab, is a revelation of ergonomics, technology and luxury.
Accessed through oppositional hinged 'suicide doors', the space behind the two seats is generous in the extreme. There's space for pets or two small children or a rather small adult if absolutely needed.
It's a great space for the transport of the kind of personal effects you'd prefer to have closer to you on a long journey, rather than in the load box, such as laptops, cameras and picnic bags. You can put your entire luggage behind your seat, leaving the load box free to carry anything else.
The load box is equipped with tie-down points for securing cargo, as well as a three-prong plug point and a cigarette charger outlet to run anything from a fridge for the camper to power tools for a small business.
There are also down lights that assist with nighttime access to whatever you have put within the load box.
Ford The general build quality of the vehicle is top class, there is no road noise whatsoever in the cabin and the sound system is sublime.
Image: Supplied
Build quality
The general build quality of the vehicle is top class, there is no road noise whatsoever in the cabin, and the sound system is sublime.
The attention to the smaller details is understated, though omnipresent, like the courtesy lights that come on beneath the side mirrors to illuminate the ground as you get in or out of the vehicle in the dark.
There's just about every mod con you could hope for within the cabin, including a range of driving aids that literally make you stay in your lane with more interactive backseat driving/hectoring than even those that have been married for many years would be used to – including nanny like injunctions to stop for a coffee when the Wildtrak thinks you're tired.
The Apple CarPlay is seamless, projecting onto an iPad-sized screen in the middle of the console that effectively becomes an extension of your phone, ensuring there's no awkward relearning of other onboard GPS or music systems. You literally arrive, pair and drive off.
For those without either Android or iPhone, the Wildtrak does come with its own independent systems, all of which can be controlled via the oversized screen or directly from the steering wheel.
The only thing the steering wheel doesn't control is the aircon; everything else is accessible without having to move your hands too far down (or God forbid, for the onboard nanny, to take one hand off).
There's just about every mod con you could hope for within the cabin, including a range of driving aids that literally make you stay in your lane.
Image: Supplied
Effortless driving
This is a big bakkie by any metric, but after a very short while, it feels like an extension of the driver because everything is so intuitive. There are very helpful sensors and cameras fore and aft, with a panoramic one above, which are vital for parking – and especially when carrying a load that obscures the back window.
Having said that, the big side mirrors have sensors in them that light up when vehicles come up close behind you and overtake.
Despite its size, this vehicle is nimble; the 2-litre bi-turbo engine and the 10-speed automatic gearbox ensure there's plenty of power, but at the same time, the engine is very efficient.
1200kms on the clock, of which 200 were in town and 1000 were down to Kimberley and back, returned figures of 8.5l/ 100kms, but on the open road this dropped to 8l/100kms, making the Wildtrak the same cost to run as that of a much smaller vehicle over the same distance.
Versatile
The Wildtrak is incredibly versatile. Fully 4x4 with a substantial road clearance, dirt roads are no challenge and the off-road beckons with no trepidation, but it won't look out of place either in the executive parking bays of a blue-chip company.
Its very clean lines, unlike some of the aerodynamic-defying lines of some of its competitors, add further allure to a vehicle that refuses to be pigeon-holed.
Adept in different settings, versatile without compromising on performance or build quality, the Wildtrak Super Cab is a shape shifter that changes perceptions about what a bakkie can do and, more importantly, should do.
The answer is that the best bakkies do everything and do it very well.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Rare rhino armoured vehicle turns heads at VUT
VANDERBIJLPARK – Anyone who attended Rhino Week at the Vaal University of Technology's Isak Steyl Stadium over the past two weeks, likely noticed the armoured vehicle on display and wondered about its identity and origins. Coincidentally sharing its name with the event, the vehicle is known as the Rhino. ARMSCOR developed the Rhino Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle in the early 1980s following a private needs assessment, shortly after the conclusion of Project Sireb, which evaluated the feasibility of replacing the Buffel MRAP. Only twenty Rhino vehicles were manufactured for the South African Air Force. Based on the Samil 20 chassis, the Rhino was designed specifically for troop transport and patrol duties around air force bases. It has a crew of seven consisting of a driver, co-driver in the front, and five troops in the rear compartment. The vehicle features a fully enclosed V-shaped hull, offering excellent protection against landmines, while its armoured hull and ballistic glass windows provide effective defence against small arms fire and light artillery fragments. Key features include two roof hatches, firing ports beneath each window in the troop compartment, and provision for mounting a roof-mounted machine gun. The driver's cabin is accessible via side doors on both sides, reached by a short ladder, while the troop compartment is entered through a small door at the rear left of the vehicle. A spare wheel is mounted at the rear. Although originally intended for military use, the Rhino went on to prove its worth in a range of international humanitarian demining operations. It consistently demonstrated its reliability and adaptability as a platform in both conflict zones and peacetime missions. With the adoption of the Mamba MRAP family by the South African military in the early 1990s, the Rhino was gradually withdrawn from service and subsequently sold to the private security sector. The Rhino stands as a testament to South African engineering excellence and tactical innovation. * Dewald Venter is a professor at the Vaal University of Technology. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
20 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Our Ford Transit Custom Sport earns its stripes
It's mostly been weather for ducks here in the Western Cape. While these winter showers bode well for the approaching summer (no bathing in waterless hand cleaner like we did in 2016) it makes everyday commuting a stressful affair. Not because of the infrastructure — the road network is light years better than what you experience in Joburg, with drainage that works and visible road markings — but because of the drivers. Cape Town motorists, even at the best of times, are not renowned for their vehicular helmsmanship, so when you introduce howling winds and squalls of sideways rain, most four-wheeled journeys become a sketchy game of Russian roulette. I have learnt to keep my driving to a minimum until the clouds dissipate and that sweet winter sun makes an appearance. Last weekend it did and, suffering from a mild case of cabin fever, I decided to hop into the Ford Transit Custom Sport that's been languishing in my driveway and go for a jaunt. Good thing I did too, because on start-up the digital instrument cluster informed me the van's 12V battery was in a low state of charge (this cold weather is tough on cells). Then, a few kilometres later, another warning flashed up alerting me that the DPF was clogged up and that I should keep on driving to initiate the 'cleaning process'. So I did. When it was finished I kept on going and soon found myself heading in the direction of Franschhoek. Usually this part of the world is best experienced behind the wheel of a grossly overpowered, decidingly antisocial two-door performance car and not a hulking great panel van. But then I remembered the Custom Sport has GT stripes running down its bonnet like a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and my impostor syndrome quickly subsided. After cruising through the little town's tourist-packed main road I hooked a short left, engaged 'Sport' mode and headed towards the summit of what has to be the Western Cape's most popular mountain pass. On the ascent, Ford's 2.0l engine makes another strong case for itself with ample torque delivery and willingness to rev. While a lot of turbodiesels kind of lose interest once you push past their torque peak, this one is more than obliging to clatter all the way up to its red line should you feel so inclined. It's meshed to an eight-speed automatic transmission that does a good enough job when left to its own devices but is also equipped with a manual override feature allowing you to take full control. Actuated by twisting the end of the right steering column stalk forward (up) or back (down), this helps with engine braking and also lets you carry a gear through a set of sweepers — something that assists with stability as your momentum isn't disrupted by the van's electronic brain suddenly moving up or down a cog. Keep it in fifth, for example, and it stays there while you can focus on your line. The Custom Sport's light electric power steering is great when threading through city environs but on the tighter, more technical portions of Franschhoek Pass it feels overly assisted and, in and around the centre point, pretty void of feedback. I thought Sport mode might dial some extra weight into proceedings but in reality all it does is ramp up throttle response and adopt a more aggressive shift programme. Still, given what this Ford is actually designed for, you can't hold any of this against it. Despite its utilitarian DNA, the Custom Sport performs admirably through most of this mountain road's twisty bits and disguises its heft well — better than any panel van with a 1,023kg payload has any right to. Body control is particularly polished. I was expecting to field a messy serving of pitch and roll around corners but somehow Ford's engineers have managed to keep it largely in check. Image: Supplied Though it puts up a gallant effort along the pass, the Custom Sport feels infinitely more at ease tackling the less technical asphalt ribbons that loop lazily between Villiersdorp and Worcester. With less lateral loads to worry about and that lengthy wheelbase (just over three metres) doing much to boost high-speed steadiness, this load-lugger charges on down the sleepy R43 at a rate of knots, the digital speedometer flashing three-figure velocities high enough to rack up a serious fine and/or tongue-lashing from the Breede Valley's finest. Put your foot down and you can carry a very deceptive turn of pace. You might not care — and I'm sure few prospective owners will — but the Custom Sport really does offer a modicum of dynamic performance that transcends its intended use case. While its racy exterior styling is nothing more than a frivolous sticker job, an exercise in car park peacocking, Ford's legacy of building fun-to-drive vehicles is genuine and can be felt here in spades. It's under the skin, beneath the metal and in this case helps dispel the notion that owning a practical cargo-hauler comes at the cost of driver appeal. 2025 Ford Transit Custom Sport | Update 5
TimesLIVE
20 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Stellantis to launch Leapmotor EVs in South Africa later this year
Stellantis plans to sell Chinese-branded electric vehicles (EVs) developed by its partner Leapmotor in South Africa starting with the C10 from September, the company said on Tuesday. The C10 is an electric SUV with a petrol engine used only to charge the battery. More Leapmotor models are expected to be launched next year, including fully electric models, said Mike Whitfield, MD of Stellantis South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Leapmotor created waves with its recent rollout of the all-electric B10 SUV equipped with smart-driving features and lidar sensing technology for less than $18,000 (R316,865). In Stellantis bought a 21% stake in Leapmotor for $1.6bn (R28.17bn). The two carmakers also formed the joint venture Leapmotor International, in which Stellantis holds a 51% stake. Leapmotor will help the world's fourth largest carmaker widen its range of affordable EVs, as it presses ahead with electrification while other Chinese carmakers including BYD and Chery Auto are aggressively expanding into Africa. 'South Africa is a critical market for Stellantis and we are committed to unlocking its potential through product, innovation and meaningful partnerships,' Whitfield said. Stellantis, which entered the South African market four years ago, is building a new plant in the country with a maximum capacity of 100,000 vehicles by 2030. It plans to become the No 1 player in the Middle East and Africa region with 1-million vehicles sold by 2030, with 35% expected to be electric. In 2024 it sold 500,000 cars in the Middle East and Africa. With more than 60% of the South African market concentrated below the R400,000 price point, Stellantis's Citroën C3 range is gaining strong traction, with the upcoming C3 Basalt set to complete a competitive line-up in the accessible B-hatch and SUV segments early next year, Whitfield said. Stellantis will also launch the Citroën C3 Hola panel van, its entry into the growing commercial vehicle sector aimed at small business owners.
