No wonder the Gran Max has almost doubled its mileage since its introduction. In line with its utilitarian nature, the CAR team has found all sorts of odd uses for the little Daihatsu workhorse.
Last week the Gran Max lugged its largest load yet, when it was called upon to carry garden pots and plants from Melkbosstrand to the False Bay coastline. The huge aftermarket canopy has up till now been sufficient for accommodating the likes of stoves and refrigerators and the odd Builder’s Warehouse supply run, but the Gran Max’s most recent task required the use of a trailer to help haul the load for the 50 km trip home.
The heavier variety of vegetation required at least four men to hoist onto the trailer, and whatever else that was small enough was packed onto the Gran Max’s generous load bay. With the muck and soil and hard ceramics that are part and parcel of such exercises, I was really glad that we the load bay had been rubberised before we took “ownership”.
Not only was it easy to clean, but there are no tell-tale scratches or dents in the panels behind the cabin. I understand that the nature of such a vehicle would see it pick up a few nicks and dings along the way to earning its stripes, but a scuffed load bay is ugly and I’m sure that kind of abuse has negative effects on a bakkie’s longevity. What was really apparent is that the Gran Max sorely misses tie-down points in the load bay. I hesitated at loading a few pots against the bulkheads, fully aware that the Gran Max is a dropside, and shuddered every time I heard a plod from one of the containers banging against the sides.
I was immediately surprised at how well the Daihatsu’s 1,5-litre seemed to be coping with the load – which I suspect to have been very close to 1 000 kg. Of course, 71 kW and 134 N.m of torque are not figures that easily impress, but that, in my mind, only made the Gran Max’s performance that bit more special. Wary of the weight I was pulling, I kept speeds low leaving the pick-up point and for this the first, second and third ratios of the five-speed gearbox were more than adequate. Once out of residential limits I seldom ventured out of third gear.
On the odd occasion, whilst in fourth gear my speed dropped to under 55 km/h and there was a hint of lugging – but nothing that a downshift couldn’t handle. In hindsight, what really would have been useful was a tachometer, which the Gran Max is not equipped with. If not for keeping cabin noise down (the driver sits right on top of the engine), then just for making sure I keep within the powerband.
Speaking of noise, the roof lining is loose where the roof meets the back of the cabin, which results in a lot of fluttering at any speed above 40 km/h if the windows are open. The canopy also has an annoying squeak that can’t be pinpointed – all of this despite a thick rubber lining between the fiberglass top and the metal sheet of the cabin. It always gets worse when I’m longing for a radio (which is another thing the Gran Max isn’t equipped with).
The Gran Max has so far passed all its tasks with flying colors, but the jury’s still out on its day-to-day friendliness… Expect a lot more updates on this little workhorse.
So far:
Mileage now (km): 3 898
Fuel consumption to date (litres/100 km): 9,41
We like: no frills, no fuss workhorse
We don’t like: No audio to drown out workhorse blues
