Strada bakkies get the job done

South Africans love bakkies. These versatile vehicles are a big part of our national consciousness - I don't want to say culture.

The single-cab versions perform many functions, carrying everything from garden rubbish to furniture to leisure equipment, casual labourers to people who can't fit into the cabin.

There are the bakkie aristocrats, the big double-cabs, mighty machines that are as confident barrelling along the fast lane as they are on dirt tracks.

At the other end of the scale one used to get tough, no-frills bakkies that lasted for ever and could somehow get to really remote places - but came with no nice-to-have features. It was all about getting the job done.

The popularity of bakkies is an incentive to all manu-facturers to produce at least one. A few years ago Fiat, with much fanfare, launched its Strada bakkie range in South Africa. It was discontinued in 2012, by which time there was just one Strada (the 1.4) being offered, but one can still find second-hand models. Over the years the range varied from frugal 1.2-litre workhorses through 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre offerings, with a 1.7-litre diesel and a fancy-pants X-Space Adventure.

This cost a whack more but came with a lot of extras, including roof rails, alloy wheels and silver running boards on chromed tubing.

Inside the cabin, you may feel as if you are driving a car (admittedly not a terribly high-quality one). The X-Space Adventure had a driver's air bag, electric windows, air conditioning, radio with CD and MP3, and a rev counter redlined at 6500rpm alongside the speedometer, temperature and fuel gauges. Its 1.4-litre motor produced 60kW and 120Nm.

The "X-Space" label also indicated more storage space behind the seats. It cost R132000 in 2007.

At that time, the cheapest Strada, the 1.2EL, cost R82000. Like its siblings, it had a five-speed gearbox and power steering. The four-cylinder 1242cc petrol motor produced a mere 54kW and 102Nm, but was good enough to power the vehicle for basic bakkie jobs and was better-suited to town driving than long-distance travel. It boasted a range of more than 800km from the 58l fuel tank.

The best bet was the 1.6-litre ELX model, which came with the most powerful of the petrol engines, but did not have as many fancy bits as the X-Space Adventure. (Does your bakkie really need the word "Adventure" etched into a spoke on each alloy wheel?)

At the time, the main rivals were the Opel Corsa Utility (since superseded by the Chev Utility) and the late lamented Ford Bantam. Although the Corsa was the most powerful of the three, the Strada had the biggest load-carrying ability - 715kg against the Corsa's 680kg and Bantam's 650kg.

With the tailgate lowered, the Strada's load area looked enormous. It would have looked even better if space had been found under the vehicle for the spare wheel, which was situated awkwardly against the back of the cabin.

For people wanting a cheap bakkie with reasonable fuel consumption, a Strada may be worth a look.

When looking at Fiats of this vintage you won't be getting manufacturers' warranties. S o examine the vehicle carefully, ask a lot of questions and be wary of who you are buying from.

Feedback from owners varied from strong feelings against, with particular complaints about spares availability, to others who reported trouble-free motoring.

If I was to buy a Strada, I'd look at the 1.6 ELV (74kW and 140Nm, said to make it capable of 180km/h).

I spotted a 2009 model with 80000km on the clock for R80000, and another of the same year and price, but with only 64000km on the odometer.

One thing that indicates there may be more to these Fiats than popular perception would indicate is that these figures reveal they have held their prices reasonably well.

The X-Space Adventure does not offer enough real value to warrant any cost premium. The market agrees - I found one of these fancy models, dating back to 2007, for just R65000.