Towing up a steep mountain pass in heavy rain, an all-wheel-drive double cab bakkie can shift torque to the front wheels. This helps maintain traction through off-camber corners and prevents high-risk rear-wheel slippage.
A four-wheel-drive bakkie cannot use its four-wheel-drive system on a tar road, especially around corners. That means it cannot operate in a safer, more tractionsecure all-wheel-drive mode when towing heavy trailers or caravans up a steep tarsurface mountain pass, or in heavy rain.
No slipping on the slipway
There ' s another benefit that all-wheeldrive double-cab bakkies have, and it concerns launching and recovering watercraft.
Slipways are notorious for creating traction issues, especially when the entry and exit areas are narrow or crowded with other boats and trailers. That means a driver needs to be able to steer at a sharp angle while having all-wheel-drive traction to clear the slipway without issue.
Again, this is where being able to operate in all-wheel drive on a sealed surface is a huge benefit that all-wheel-drive doublecab bakkies have over more traditional four-wheel-drive systems.
Mitsubishi ' s Triton has long been the champion of all-wheel-drive in the South African double cab market, but more double-cab models are increasingly moving from four-wheel to all-wheel-drive systems. The latest Ford Ranger and VW
Amarok also offer all-wheel-drive on select models, as do many of the latestgeneration Chinese double-cabs.
The trend towards more all-wheeldrive transmissions is something service specialists in the South African automotive aftermarket need to be aware of and plan future servicing around.
SEPTEMBER 2025 15 WORDS IN ACTION