JMC Vigus Review: Can this budget bakkie really get work done?
By: Dylan Naidoo
When we see new bakkies entering the commercial space in South Africa, it's more than just that. Essentially, next to the compact crossover, it is one of the more competitive spaces to get into considering the intense competition with the likes of the South African built Toyotas, Fords and Isuzus. The big three have formed a staple stronghold on the South African market so hard, even the Chinese competitors have struggled to keep up with them, but that does not mean they aren’t close. GWM’s P-Series bakkies have gained strong momentum, coming out in fifth place and closing in on the Isuzu D-Max (According to Ryan Bubear from Cars.co.za). One big factor is price, with the GWM offering a double-cab P300SX automatic with 4WD for only R499,950. However, this time Chinese automaker JMC has entered the ring, offering an even more affordable Double-Cab Vigus also with 4WD and as an automatic,
We drove up to aQuellé’s manufacturing plant, so we managed to get quite an extensive review on the JMC Vigus driving through KZN’s beautiful inlands.
Engineering & Technology
The JMC Vigus is offered in a 2.5L diesel engine, outputting 123kW of power, but also delivering 430nm of torque. On paper it sounds good, and even in practice the Vigus delivers a good amount of power. Our long highway runs revealed a rather potent engine capable of maintaining high speeds quite well. However, the engine can get a slight bit noisy, which shouldn’t be surprising considering it's a diesel. Power feeds an 8-speed automatic transmission, but should you choose, a 6-speed manual variant is available.
On the tech side, the Vigus contains what you would expect at this price point. That being a large,12.8-inch infotainment screen paired with your front and rear camera with a parking sensor, as well as hill assist. The android auto paired without a hitch, and music played substantially well through the speaker system. The bakkie is equipped with what you would expect from a vehicle in current year, and considering the price of the Vigus in comparison to its competitors it's good to see the essentials are on board.
Design, Interior & Ride Quality.
Design is a great plus. The bakkie has a strong, commending stance, further amplified by its tough metal front bumper. This feature took me back to first seeing a hard-metal front bumper. Really, it's a good-looking bakkie, and I think it blends a good balance of simple yet sleek looking design.
We also found the interior to be decent. Whilst fabric seating, it was a soft comfortable
material. The ‘fabric was a two-tone design of black and white, giving a rather unique look., As with many of these Chinese cars, interior design is quite minimalist.
Ride quality, however, is a mixed bag. In our testing, over the rougher inland roads of KZN, rear ride quality was rather bouncy. However, a silver lining is that the front ride quality was smoother.
Spacing & Utility
The back payload of the Vigus is rated at 915Kg, and for a bakkie at its price range, it’s really not too bad. On our way back from aQuellé, the bakkie managed to fit and hold many packs of aQuellé water as well as other items reasonably well, without any sacrifice of power. The cargo bed is also decently long, at nearly 1.5 metres making it perfect for much more specific loads.
The approach angle is also rated at around 27 degrees, , but it would be nice to see a higher approach angle for future trims that can make this bakkie more competitive in the off-roading space. We do, however, have 17-inch wheels that really feel like it can take on rough terrain, which is good to see.
Price & Overall Thoughts
At R459,900 (According to Cars.co.za) for this automatic double-cab, the Vigus seats near its contemporaries, under-cutting the GWM P-series of similar nature but closely matching the price of Changan Hunter Diesel, whilst offering a similar set-up. This segment of bakkies is competitive to say the least, but it is refreshing to see JMC bring out quite a competitive bakkie for this segment. With advanced technology, a great design and a clear focus on utility, the JMC Vigus is a good option for its price range, but we would also like to see some minor refinement for future generations.
To view JMC's entire range, visit their website through this link: https://jmcsouthafrica.co.za/
