A new era in performance and comfort

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?

- KEVIN RITCHIE

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 1% 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.