Go Drive & Camp May 2019

http://www.weg.c o.za go! Drive&CampMay2019|^85

Pieter says

Forthe D-Max’stop

model, thedashboard

of this bakkieisprettybasic.

Thereisgreat storagespace:

youhave adouble cubbieand

evenstorage spacebehindthe

GPS screen.

Yousit comfortablyhigh

and youcan seeclearly around

you. Sometimesabakkie’s

Bpillarright next to your right

shoulderaggravates theblind

spot,but notinthe D-Max.

Itspower didn’t impress

me.It’sa3ℓengine andyou’d

expectaround450 Nm,but the

engine feelsabit weak.It’strue

thatthe bakkieismuch heavier

thankstoall theextra fittings

–and thecaravan isalso on

the heavyside, butthere is too

littlepower.

Forexample,ify ou step on

the accelerator at 100 km/h

on alevelroad,thereisno

immediate reacti on from the

engine’s side.

If oneaccelerate srightaway

fromastandstill,the revs go up

to justabout4000 rpm(where

the meterismarkedinred)

beforethe gearboxchanges

gears,but theD-Maxisnot a

racing horse.The gearboxitself

feelslike oldertechnology, but

the switch is fast enoughand

youhardl ynoticeit.

Theengine is also noisy,but

whenyou’re nottowing,it’s

abit quieter,probablybecause

it doesn’t have to work as hard.

Ilikethe dotted line that

showson the camerascreen

whenreversing.The line

runs alongto the bottomat

thebumper whereitcircles

the ball .With thedotted

line, it’s easytosee your line

forreversing.

Parked,the stee ring wheel

turns withdifficulty,but when

youdrive it is comfortable.

Butthe ride itselfisextremely

comfortableand it almost

feelsasifyou’redriving

asedan.

Pieter Crousis

atowmaster of noteand

here’swhathethinks of

theD-Max...