Two newcomers to the South African bakkie scene are the GWM P Series and Mazda BT-50. The GWM P Series is one of the most highly anticipated new bakkies in the market. The new premium product represents a strong step forward for the Chinese brand as it aims to blend comfort with functionality.
Where the GWM P Series is concerned, it uses a turbodiesel 2,0-litre four-pot mill that sends 120 kW and 400 N.m of torque to the intelligent all-wheel drive system which gives it a tested 0-100 km/h time of 11,96 seconds.
The Mazda BT-50 is somewhat new as it does away with the platform supplied by the Ford Ranger and adopts the upcoming Isuzu D-Max’s chassis. Under the bonnet you’ll find a new turbodiesel 3,0-litre four-cylinder mill that sends 140 kw and 450 N.m of torque to the 4×4 system via a six-speed automatic transmission. This gives it a tested 0-100 km/h time of 9,71 seconds which makes it quite a bit quicker than the GWM P Series.
But, it’s as we all know, the rules are totally different in a good old fashioned drag race. We pit the two bakkies against one another regardless of the difference in power to see which one is able to launch off the line and reach the end of the line quicker.