Bakkie brute to a-maize you

I have never been to Bothaville which lies on the banks of the Vaal River in the Free State, and I can't see myself visiting anytime soon.

But Googling the town unearths a couple of interesting facts.

The first is that every October they hold what is called the "pulsating Food and Witblits Festival" where for two days - I kid you not - they indulge in such activities as a maize kernel distance-spitting competition, the "stylish" Maize Capital Fashion Parade and of course, the opportunity to drink yourself into oblivion with as much Witblits as your poor little liver can handle.

Presiding over events is none other than the Mealie King himself - King Ben Mielie I!

As the publicity office for the town says, "it all forms part of an unforgettable experience and entrance is free of charge!"

It's probably unforgettable because most of those who attend a) can't remember being there; or b) don't wish to remember what they actually got up to all in the name of fun.

The second interesting fact about Bothaville is that it is also home to the Nampo agricultural trade show which is one of the biggest in the world and attracts 60000-odd visitors over a three-day period.

This is after all maize farming territory and I guess it was quite appropriate that Volkswagen would choose this event to launch their single-cab Amarok back in May.

Bakkies are the preferred mode of transport in this part of the world and to crack the dominance of Isuzu and Toyota, you better have something good to offer - and Volkswagen definitely does.

The single-cab Amarok - for which South Africa has the biggest market in the world - follows on from the very successful double-cab and is described as the "workhorse" in the fleet.

So I decided it would be pretty pointless to test the vehicle if the only thing that went in to its load bay was a couple of grocery bags from Woolies.

It was time to put the single-cab to the test and for anyone who has done any house renovations lately, you will know transport costs are often just as exorbitant as the goods being purchased.

So to avoid my bank account sliding the same way as Greece's, I used the Amarok to transport 5000 paving bricks, a beach load of sand and enough bags of cement to lay the foundation for the memorial to the World Trade Centre.

At more than five metres long and with a class-leading payload (1620mm wide) the Amarok will stare down most of its competitors when it comes to sheer size.

It really is a brute and transporting the bricks - done in a series of trips - proved pretty effortless (maximum load is 1279kg) with the engine never once showing any sign of strain.

This could be due to the fact that the 2.0-litre engine comes strapped with two turbos that help produce 120kW of power and 400Nm of torque.

Also the payload is supported by heavy-duty leaf springs and a solid axle at the rear to help soak up bounce on the road.

The vehicle I tested had a fair whack of features, among which were a passenger airbag, remote central locking, radio/CD player, semi-automatic climate control, fuel consumption computer, leather-covered steering wheel, electric windows, cruise control and a set of alloy wheels.

A four-star Euro NCAP safety rating has been achieved thanks to anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic differential lock (EDL), off-road ABS, traction control system (TCS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and anti-slip regulation (ASR).

There is plenty of room in the cab for two people and the seats are easily adjustable - as is the steering wheel - and storage space behind the seats is ample for a few small bags.

While the interior is definitely nicely specced and comfortable, you do have the feeling that this is a vehicle that has a thirst for hard work and the tougher it is, the more you will appreciate the Amarok.

The 16-inch steel wheels look the part and the raised body helps show off the tyres that wouldn't look out of place on a tractor.

An area of surprise with the single-cab Amarok was fuel consumption.

The sixth gear in the manual gearbox works as an overdrive resulting in fuel-saving benefits and the up/downshift indicator on the display panel also helps to save fuel.

One last point worth mentioning, is the hill start assistance function .

I've appreciated it on many occasions before but none more so than with a heavy payload of material sitting just behind my back.

That two-second gap when pulling away up a steep incline is very welcome, and besides, it helps to reduce clutch wear and tear.

I ended up spending more time in the Amarok than I normally would in a test vehicle because of the work I was doing and, thanks to that large payload, excellent engine and comfortable interior, I found the work a whole lot easier.

The Specs:

Volkswagen Amarok 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion

Engine: 1968cc 6-speed manual

Power: 120kW at 4000rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1500rpm to 2000rpm

0-100km/h: 10.8 seconds (claimed)

Top speed: 180km/h (claimed)

Fuel consumption: 7.9l/100km (claimed/combined)

CO2: 208g/km

Price: R335000

We like:

True workhorse

Wide range of features

Practical and versatile

We don't like:

More than two people - enjoy the open-air ride in the back!