A five-and-a-half-hour drive from Centurion to the Mapungubwe National Park all the way in Musina, Limpopo can easily be a fun packed road trip for any nomad, but this is never the case for someone who frequents the journey like I do. The journey is scripted and runs like clock-work. I expect a steady drive with no interference. One leg stretch in between, and smooth sailing thereafter. After doing this consistently for over three years, you can agree that there is a need to spice up the journey with an interesting vehicle that goes beyond the call of duty in its design, its performance and its feel.
The Isuzu’s D-Max X-Rider was the perfect companion for what I have deemed the dullest drive to Limpopo. Gone are the days where a bakkie was an old and loud vehicle that can only be used for running boring errands and lifting heavy objects. Isuzu has created a sophisticated dual-purpose ride that easily adapts from utility and leisure with ease.
This bakkie is dynamic, strong, and enduring. It conquered just about anything the tar and gravel roads threw at me. I am not surprised that throughout its 4-decade partnership with SA, and over 8 decades in the game, Isuzu has won the hearts of many South African drivers, especially when it comes to outdoor activities. It’s important to add that Isuzu D-Max comes in a variety of 4X2 and 4X4 models that vary in their levels of specifications, but reliability, durability and capability will always stand out in the characteristics of every Isuzu.
Built with a basic infotainment system that had no problem connecting to my Apple CarPlay and the Bluetooth of my phone, the 20.3cm multifunction colour touchscreen has everything you need. In this instance, I wasn’t looking for aesthetics, I just needed a bumpy playlist that would get me to the park. I eventually end up on my groovy golden oldies from the 1960’s as soon as I approached to the final stretch in Alldays, which is little over 70km away from the park. At this point I was sitting on a promising half tank, but didn’t want to take any chances, so I quickly filled up.
A drive on the R512 is normally slow and delicate when pushing a typical sedan or hatchback, but I was thoroughly impressed by the indifference of the X-rider when tackling gravel roads and massive potholes. The standard 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels on all-terrain rubber move right along with no negotiations and no care in the world. Switching the engine off felt like a crime to the roaring engine that just wanted to go on and on.
I’m an avid traveller and a liker of all things destinations, however it saddens me how some of the most incredible gems of our country are practically inaccessible due to terrible roads and dangerous potholes that could potentially ruin your car, or even put your life in harms-way. If we want South Africans to Xplore more of our local destinations, we’re really going to need to spend more time in improving the road infrastructure to the said destinations. This is a serious conversation worth having with our Tourism sector.
The Mapungubwe National Park is incredibly scenic with rocky meanders and exciting fauna and flora that depicts the rich biodiversity of our beautiful country. My stay was at the lovely Leokwe Rest Camp, which has become a first choice to visitors because of its exquisite infinity pool and the rustic huts that remind you of an ancient Kingdom. If you’re really lucky, a brave elephant will come by and drink a sip of water while you take your swim. Nerve-wrecking of-course, but if you manage to get a shot of this, you will thank me forever.
The park is the ideal destination for that well needed quiet time away from the busyness of day-to-day city living. With limited connectivity to the rest of the world, Mapungubwe forces you to re-centre, re-align and be re-filled by the vastness of nature and tranquillity. My drives around the park were way more interesting with the D-Max X-Rider. I’ll be honest, I sometimes confused the massive steering wheel for dumbbells at some point as you really do feel yourself putting in the work when manoeuvring the car around sharp curves. I had to be more careful when reversing and parking as the vehicle had no audible sensors to prevent me from bumping any objects.
For some reason, I really expect the X-Rider to be a gas guzzler, but after a return trip on the N1 north and maintaining a steady 100 – 125km/h, this bakkie really gave me my monies worth through the 3.0-litre 4 Cylinder turbo diesel engine producing a healthy 130kW. Fuel efficiency is very important to me considering how I easily bounce between 5 provinces in 7 days.
I really want to give a stellar review about how well insulated the van is, but I don’t think it would be a true reflection because as soon as I heard how powerful the sound system was, I lined up all of my favourite tracks and sang at the top of my voice until I got to the gate. The speakers are beautifully balanced and ideal for struggling artists like me who HAVE TO be in a live concert on every journey.
From all of this, it is clear that the D-MAX is indeed a precisely designed vehicle with superior comforts and great performance innovations that prioritises your entertainment, comfort and safety. A must-have for the long-distance traveller and the high utility user.
Model & Pricing
- 250 HO Double Cab X-Rider – R405 652.17
- 250 HO Double Cab X-Rider A/T – R421 043.48
- 250 HO Double Cab X-Rider 4×4 – R451 478.26
- Special edition D-MAX 3.0 TD Double Cab X-Rider Auto starts at – R479 217.39
BY SIPHO Alphi MKHWANAZI
