The salary you need to afford South Africa’s most powerful bakkie under R350,000

Anyone looking to buy South Africa’s most powerful bakkie under R350,000 – the recently launched JMC Vigus Single-Cab – will need to earn at least R35,000 per month to afford the bakkie on a finance deal.

This is according to a calculation by TopAuto, which considers the vehicle’s retail price and finance offered at the current prime lending rate over five years.

While there are higher trim levels, the entry-level single-cab Vigus has a sticker price of R329,900, and shares its powertrain with the higher-spec, double-cab models.

JMC has given the Single-Cab the same 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine found in the rest of the Vigus range, capable of producing 123kW and 410Nm, which it sends to the rear wheels.

This makes it the most powerful bakkie in South Africa under R350,000, albeit by only 3kW.

Its motor is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that the Chinese carmaker claims optimises fuel consumption, which is rated at 7.0l/100km, while the bakkie also boasts a generous 73-litre fuel tank.

That power, combined with an expansive factory-sprayed cargo bed measuring 2,310mm long and 1,595mm wide, accommodates a full 1,000kg payload and a 2,000kg braked towing capability.

As a workhorse bakkie built for South Africa’s challenging roads and uneven worksites, JMC fitted the new Vigus with an endurance chassis.

It features a heavy-duty suspension system, incorporating a double wishbone with coil springs in the front and a leaf-spring setup at the rear, ensuring stability even under maximum load.

The Vigus’ 16-inch wheels create a 27-degree approach angle and 22-degree departure angle, and allow a 210mm ground clearance.

Inside, JMC claims to have prioritised the safety and comfort of the workforce behind the wheel.

It added that the cabin acts as a mobile office, equipped with air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, and dual USB power ports.

On top of this, the workhorse single-cab features a range of safety and driver comfort features.

These include a standard Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), dual front airbags, and rear parking sensors to assist in tight loading bays.

What you need to earn

Car shoppers hoping to get their hands on the entry-level Chinese bakkie can use the following formula to calculate whether the vehicle would fit their budget:

• Car price –  R329,900
• Payment term – 60 months (5 years)
• Interest – 10.75%
• Deposit – 0%
• Balloon – No balloon payment
• Extras – No optional extras

According to this calculation, buyers will need to spend at least R7,132 per month on repayments for the single-cab workhorse bakkie.

Financial experts recommend that buyers avoid spending more than 20% of their gross salary on monthly vehicle repayments.

If you are looking to buy the new Chinese bakkie and want to follow this advice, you will need to earn at least R35,700 per month to afford the country’s most powerful single-cab.

Buyers looking to purchase either of these bakkies need to realise these repayments don’t include additional vehicle ownership costs, which need to be taken into account when calculating affordability.

These include, among others, insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which could easily add a few thousand rand per month to your vehicle ownership costs.