Motoring: The Right Tools for the Job

VEHICLE REVIEW

THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB Rugged workhorses for your business

The Suzuki Super Carry

The Super Carry is a purpose built workhorse designed to do the dirty jobs with as little fuss as possible. There is no luxury inside the Suzuki’s cabin to make the driver feel like they are being spoiled. In fact, there is so little inside the cabin, when we first got in to the driver’s seat, it felt like everything was missing.

There was a steering wheel, gear knob, handbrake and two seatbelts, but other than that, nothing. There is no air-conditioning, radio or electric windows. The storage space inside the cabin is limited to one cup holder and a small cubbyhole, but other than that, the Super Carry really has no creature comforts whatsoever. But does that make this a bad car? Quite the opposite! The lack of frills and fuss inside this 850kg cargo carrier is what makes it the perfect tool for any job.

The engine is absolutely incredible. It has plenty of power and is so smooth to drive whether you have a load in the back or not. The gears shift nicely and despite a bumpy suspension, you often forget that you are in a workhorse when moving between locations. The load capacity of the Super Carry is a very impressive 750kg, which means the apparently small Suzuki packs a punch well above its weight. It can carry nearly the entire weight of the whole car in the load bed.

Another impressive feature of the Super Carry is the fuel economy. They claim

Nissan NP200 ICE

it is in the region of 6.0l per 100km you drive, but on test, we found that to be closer to 7.0l per 100kms. When compared to your average family hatchback, that is super impressive. Not only can this little carrier take on the big jobs, when it comes down to costs, the Super Carry will deliver big profits from even the smallest opportunities.

Some dealerships do offer an aftermarket radio when you purchase the Super Carry, but what we found most exciting about this car is the fact that we tested the very basic standard version and we loved it. There is a Super Carry Worker edition which has rubberising, a canopy and a battery lock which enables you to do so much more, with a car that already seems so capable. Starting at around R136,000, the Super Carry is the perfect partner for a small or growing business.

The Nissan NP200 ICE

Everybody loves the good old Nissan 1400. The 1400 is the unbreakable bakkie; it is the car that never seems to stop moving. The reason the 1400 is so popular is because Nissan build such incredible cars. The new Nissan NP200 ICE is another great addition to their working family. This single cab is a smart little run-around that drives very well. Despite one or two little flaws, we found the NP200 ICE very capable and comfortable. The exterior of the ICE is considerably more aggressive and sexy than your normal NP200. It has a cool set of alloy wheel s that come standard and the aluminum nudge bars give the ICE that power look, and even though we found the ICE decal that ran down the side of this bakkie rather unnecessary, it did add to the allure. The interior of the NP200 is well laid out with leather seats to boot, and this bakkie feels more like a sporty city car, rather than a rugged worker. The NP200 ICE is very comfortable at high speed on the highway, or just cruising around town in traffic and this is thanks to a 1.6l petrol engine in the version we tested. Despite the rather average fuel consumption, the petrol engine provided plenty of power, all of which is needed because this bakkie has an impressive load capacity of 800kg. There are two versions to choose from, the 1.6l petrol we tested and a 1.5l diesel version. They cost between R191,000 and R236,000 and if you speak to your local dealer, there is a plethora of deals to choose from to suit every budget.