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Sunday / 16 February 2025
HomeFeaturesSafest bakkies in South Africa

Safest bakkies in South Africa

It’s no secret that South Africa loves its bakkies, but whenever the topic comes up the discussion around the best 4x4s usually revolves around things like their engines, torque, or towing prowess.

While these are obviously all important factors, safety is another aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked when deciding upon your next pickup.

The most well-known test for vehicle safety standards is the New Car Assessment Programme, more commonly referred to as the NCAP, which first started in the United States in 1979 and has since gone on to be used by economic regions around the world.

There are multiple versions of the current NCAP system, though the two most relevant ones for South Africa are the Euro NCAP and Australasian NCAP (or ANCAP), as these regions are reflective of the majority of vehicles brought to and from South Africa.

The NCAP awards a new car a score out of five stars based on a crash test and how it affects adult occupants, child occupants, and pedestrians.

It also looks at the safety equipment included of the model, such as the number of airbags, seatbelt reminders, ISOFIX child seat mounts, and assistance features like driver alert monitoring, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking.

Safety first

Below is a list of the safest bakkies you can currently buy in South Africa, based on their most recent valid Euro NCAP and ANCAP safety tests.

The Nissan Navara, Mahindra Pik Up, Mitsubishi Triton, and VW Amarok are listed on the ANCAP website, but have not yet received a rating based on their most recent models.


Ford Ranger – 5 star Euro NCAP & ANCAP

  • Adult occupant score – 84%
  • Child occupant score – 90%
  • Vulnerable road users score – 74%
  • Safety assist score – 84%
  • Starting price – R464,200


Isuzu D-Max – 5 star Euro NCAP & ANCAP

  • Adult occupant score – 86%
  • Child occupant score – 86%
  • Vulnerable road users score – 69%
  • Safety assist score – 83%
  • Starting price –R421,200


VW Amarok – 5 star Euro NCAP

  • Adult occupant score – 84%
  • Child occupant score – 90%
  • Vulnerable road users score – 74%
  • Safety assist score – 84%
  • Starting price – R599,000


Toyota Hilux – 5 star ANCAP

  • Adult occupant score – 96%
  • Child occupant score – 87%
  • Vulnerable road users score – 88%
  • Safety assist score – 78%
  • Starting price – R346,200


Mazda BT-50 – 5 star ANCAP

  • Adult occupant score – 86%
  • Child occupant score – 89%
  • Vulnerable road users score – 67%
  • Safety assist score – 84%
  • Starting price – R630,400


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