All the new bakkies that launched in South Africa in 2023

There were at least 17 new bakkies launched in South Africa in 2023 from a host of automakers, including the country’s first electric double cab.

Ford went on a full model offensive this year bringing several derivatives of the new Ranger to our roads, including the single and supercab body styles, the all-new Wildtrak X, as well as the second-generation Raptor.

VW gave us the Ranger-based Amarok single and double cabs which are both now in their second generation, while Isuzu re-introduced the Arctic Trucks-collaboration AT35 and the X-Rider nameplates to its popular D-Max range.

JAC also brought two bakkies to the local market, the facelifted T8 and all-new T9, as did Mitsubishi in the form of the Triton Athlete and GLX.

Meanwhile, GWM, Mahindra, and Toyota each launched one new competitor in the category, these being the P-Series LTD, the first Pik Up Karoo single cab, and the limited-edition Hilux Raider X, respectively.

We then had two new brands enter the bakkie segment in 2023 including China’s Maxus, which debuted South Africa’s first battery-powered double cab namely the T90 EV.

The second newcomer was chemical-maker-turned-car-manufacturer Ineos which introduced the Quartermaster that is based on the popular Grenadier SUV – itself the spiritual successor to the original Land Rover Defender.