ROAD TEST: Hilux Legend vs Amarok V6 vs Ranger Thunder
TEST SUMMARY
There are times when even the logical and measured process of our scoring system brings forth results that make us do a double-take. The seeming three-way tie between these capable pickups is a prime example. While we try to limit the weighting the emotional aspect of car ownership carries when assessing something as practical as a pick-up, the aspirational nature, visual flair – and in the Amarok’s case, its sheer mechanical punch – made this task immensely challenging. On the percentage-based framework that underpins our
five-star rating system, there was a mere 1,6-point margin.
On this occasion, it’s the tough-as-nails Hilux at the tail end of the table. Its virtues are many: mechanical robustness, off-road ability and palpable improvements in refinement, performance and overall packaging make it an imposing product. However, its less-rounded road manners feel a step behind its more tarmac-savvy rivals and, given the tiny margins separating the three pickups, the near-R120 000 body blow that the largely unessential RS pack deals to the Toyota’s value proposition is enough to relegate it to base camp here.
Many will question the logic behind Volkswagen’s decision to shoehorn the diesel equivalent of a nuclear bomb into the Amarok’s engine bay, especially given that it’s essentially a parting gesture ahead of the Ford co-developed successor’s 2022 unveiling. Like Mallory’s opening gambit, it could be argued the opportunity was taken “because it’s there”. Applied to a vehicle that has already impressed with its dynamic prowess, tasteful styling and almost SUV-like liveability, the
190 kW treatment is its trump card. Yet, all of that ability comes at a massive asking price. Factor in some flagging perceived quality issues and the rarefied atmosphere of the Amarok’s near-R1 million price bracket is simply too far a climb for most.
The Ranger Thunder’s blend of value for money, excellent specification, balanced road manners and well-executed cosmetic package has it narrowly shouldering past its rivals on the way to the summit. It doesn’t excel in one specific area but rather exhibits a hard-to-emulate balance of talents, culminating in a crushingly capable package with a broad appeal.
Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, VW Amarok. Three Peaks. They represent the pinnacles of the one-tonne pickup landscape, but who is peaking and who is over the hill?
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