I agree 1000000% with this. Light duty pickups are amazing.
Nissan used to have a light duty pickup everywhere, even the US, called the NP300 Hardbody that slowly morphed into the bloated “Navara” - except for South Africa. Nissan used to have this very Africa-appropriate tiny light duty truck, the Champ. Stellar vehicle. They made the same exact model from 1971 to 2008, and then replaced it with the Nissan NP300 Hardbody. Both are solid metal deathtraps, can be fixed with wire and string, but they’re donkeys as well. Modestly sized and will just go forward (not too fast!) forever. Nissan never stopped making a light duty pickup because the Africa market demands it - something cheap and simple that carries and goes. No frills, not even good for a drive more than 4 hours because the seats are terrible.
And don’t get me started on the way Toyota ruined the Hilux. The only entity in the known universe that could destroy a Hilux was Toyota itself. Damn shame.
Everyone driving these giant monsters wouldn’t know a good economical work vehicle if it drove up to them and dumped a cubic meter of sand on them.
I agree 1000000% with this. Light duty pickups are amazing.
Nissan used to have a light duty pickup everywhere, even the US, called the NP300 Hardbody that slowly morphed into the bloated “Navara” - except for South Africa. Nissan used to have this very Africa-appropriate tiny light duty truck, the Champ. Stellar vehicle. They made the same exact model from 1971 to 2008, and then replaced it with the Nissan NP300 Hardbody. Both are solid metal deathtraps, can be fixed with wire and string, but they’re donkeys as well. Modestly sized and will just go forward (not too fast!) forever. Nissan never stopped making a light duty pickup because the Africa market demands it - something cheap and simple that carries and goes. No frills, not even good for a drive more than 4 hours because the seats are terrible.
And don’t get me started on the way Toyota ruined the Hilux. The only entity in the known universe that could destroy a Hilux was Toyota itself. Damn shame.
Everyone driving these giant monsters wouldn’t know a good economical work vehicle if it drove up to them and dumped a cubic meter of sand on them.