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THREE weeks ago, I had a discussion with a friend who was looking for a bakkie to use for her rapidly expanding chicken business as well as running other errands.
Coincidentally, we met when I had just test driven the GWM Steed double cab.
So inadvertently the first B that came to mind was this vehicle and although I have not seen her since I believe she opted for this vehicle.
The GWM is more or less your Isuzu under the hood, which makes it as much fun as driving any Isuzu.
When I drove this truck I enjoyed the power behind the diesel engine as I hit the highway.
I purposefully opened the window just to hear the powerful hum of the engine and after a few kilometers I decided to close them, I could still hear the engine, however, the drive was not as bumpy as other bakkies.
The only thing I dislike about bakkies is the suspension, a leaf suspension destroys the joy of riding a bakkie because it becomes a tiring ride especially if you do so much of it in the city without any load.
Loading it with stuff balances it out though. Even though the GWM brand initially got a bit of bashing in this part of Africa some years back, it is fast claiming a sizeable chunk of the bakkie market due to its pricing and reliability.
When I collected it at GWM showroom at the Exhibition Park, I thought it had the same old characteristics of bakkies that is the boring stiff clutch and general bumpiness.
I was, however, pleasantly surprised because the Steed was not bad at all. The drive was smooth.
It comes standard with your basic features like the radio and ABS. This vehicle can be used to move a lot of dirt and other stuff for your home or business every day of the week.
It can ferry five adults together with a fair amount of load in the back and it has towing capabilities of one tonne, plus braking is easy.
When I drove it we went a few kilometers out of town to test its off-road capabilities and, boy, was I shocked.
Most 4x4s do not handle dirt roads well, with some brands you even wonder why they say it’s a 4×4 because when you get stuck you would need to call for assistance.
I am totally happy about the handling. The only thing I will advise anyone buying one is that this is not a 4×4-adventure vehicle, so stay away from the real 4×4 track and even some of the 4x4s are towed out by tractors.
Fuel economy is 10 litres per 100km or as others put it 10 km per litre.
The only thing that is frustrating is that I would have liked a bit more torque.
For pricing and more information please contact GWM showroom at the Showgrounds. Till next week, be safe.
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 e-mail on [email protected]