UTILITY LUXURY AND THE BEAUTY OF BAKKIES

Toyota’s latest Hilux GR-S faces some fierce rivalry in the bakkie market, the sort that’s seen manufacturers continue to produce bolder, better vehicles seemingly by the hour

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This segment has never been as competitive as it is right now. Every model out there is incredible. There's no such thing as a bad bakkie these days and your chances of finding a good second-hand deal are pretty low, too. Why? Well, find me an example resold at low mileage. Those things are built and bought to last, and owners - most of the time drive these cars for utility.

The thing with the ever-improving bakkie market is these beasts now offer the farming community and families the utility they are famous for while performing like a top-of-the-range runabout. I present to you the age of the luxury pickup.

The pertinence of this piece lies largely in the recent release of the Hilux GR-S, the latest halo pickup from Toyota. Hilux has dominated the bakkie space for as long as I can remember, from its boxer-dog adverts to the "My daddy's new Hilux is better" advert, which aired every half-time break on SuperSport a couple of years ago. Find me a South African who doesn't know what a Hilux is or who doesn't love them.