This is the safest bakkie in South Africa – According to the AA

The CEO of the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa, Bobby Ramagwede, has declared the LDV Terron 9 as the safest bakkie in the country “by far”.

Speaking at the Chinese automaker’s rebranding launch event, the CEO described the Terron 9 as the safest bakkie in South Africa thanks to its full five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) safety rating.

Ramagwede has previously told TopAuto that he regards the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme as one of the best in the world.

According to the CEO, bakkies are often praised for their speed or toughness, but he commended LDV for instead focusing on making the safest bakkie possible.

“As the advocate for mobility, accessible mobility, affordable mobility and safe mobility, there’s no better stage than this stage to talk about a brand that not only tries but actually does what it says it’s committed to do,” Ramagwede said.

He added that the AA safety tests popular locally sold cars against the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) and that a three-star ANCAP rating is generally considered a passing safety grade.

“Different territories layer on additional tests either because of regional nuances or because they demand more safety,” he said.

“When your bakkie scores five stars at ANCAP, you know you have a pretty tough bakkie on your hands, so a round of applause to the LDV team for bringing us a safe vehicle.”

Adding to what Ramagwede said was LDV South Africa CEO Gerhard Moolman, who described the Terron 9 as “the bakkie of all bakkies”.

“Achieving a five-star safety rating is no small feat, and it is something we are extremely proud of,” he said.

“The Terron 9 isn’t simply another premium double cab. It represents everything LDV stands for. Innovation, capability, comfort, technology, and really exceptional value.”

LDV Terron 9 features

LDV introduced the Terron 9 with two double-cab derivatives earlier this year, namely the Premium and the Flagship, with prices starting from R779,900.

Under the hood, both models are powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine producing 164kW and 520Nm, also making the Terron 9 one of the most powerful bakkies in our market.

This power is sent via an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission with a low-range transfer case to a 4×4 drivetrain with front and rear diff lock, and three driving modes: Normal, Eco, and Sport.

Alongside the three driving modes are terrain settings for Mud, Snow, Sand, Tow, Rock, Deep Snow, Deep Mud, and Rock Crawl.

The bakkie’s average fuel consumption is claimed to be 7.9l/100km, which gives it a range of over 1,000km, thanks to its 80-litre diesel tank

The Terron 9 features advanced driver assistance systems and off-road capability, with a towing capacity of 3,500kg and a carrying capacity of 850kg in the load bin.

Standard features on the LDV include automatic LED headlights, daytime running lights, alloy wheels, an electric tailgate, black-and-chrome accents, rain-sensing wipers, roof rails, side steps, electric side mirrors, a front tow point, a rear tow bar, and cargo slide rails and tie-down hooks.

Key interior features include leather upholstery, dual 12.3-inch displays, a JBL audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control, a heated leather multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, and heated and ventilated seats with a massage function for the driver’s seat.

Further convenience includes an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a wireless charging pad, a panoramic sunroof, and ambient lighting.

The safety features that earned its “safest bakkie in South Africa” title include 7 airbags, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with forward/rear collision warning, lane safety systems and blind spot assist, parking and visibility support.

It also features stability and control systems including traction control, hill-start assist, hill descent control and tyre pressure monitoring.