A truck is the last thing I expected to receive as a test vehicle. Yet there it was, a Gran Max sitting in the driveway. It's a light-commercial vehicle, so no special licence is required to drive it, but it ticks all the boxes for the things that make it a truck.

Daihatsu has pulled off a hat trick with this model that fills a niche in the market for big-bed load hauler that is designed to cope with city life.

My concerns about driving it safely on a daily basis, especially over some of Cape Town's most uneven and twisty roads, were eased after just one session at the wheel.

Its dimensions make it very useful indeed. At 4.2m long, 1.67m wide and 1.89m high, the Gran Max clears low bridges and covered parking facilities, can be easily maneuvered through heavy traffic and copes very well with tight corners and small loading bays.

Move over, Goodfellas

I discovered I had also gained entry into what one of my colleagues calls the "truck mafia", when driving on the busy highways and watching drivers of light and heavy trucks open gaps for me in the traffic.

I also have renewed respect for truck drivers in general after observing how some road users treat truck drivers and their vehicles, which now included me, as inconveniences.

Nonetheless, its tight turning circle and power steering makes it easy to drive, although the cab design meant that I had to rely completely upon the right-hand mirror when turning in that direction. It was a hair-raising task at first but soon became just another driving skill as I discovered the vehicle's size and position is easy to judge.

Drop everything

The one-ton load box has single-piece "drop sides" all round and the bed is just 72cm off the ground with the sides down, requiring minimum effort to stack and offload cargo. It also allows for flexibility in delivery and pickup because the truck can be loaded from any of its three sides.

The cab and load bed are mounted on a two-stage, reinforced framework so that any stresses are carried by the frame and not the body.

The frame sits on 5-ply leaf springs at the rear and Macpherson struts with coil springs at the front. The suspension is hard and set for a full load, which makes driving the unladen Gran Max over rutted surfaces like a carnival ride and causes some spinning of the rear wheels over deep sand. Still, none of this shook the tough, front-cab truck off its path.

Feel the power

Power comes from a 1.5-lite engine equipped with dynamic variable valve timing. It is electronically timed and has a plastic manifold that shortens the time needed to warm up. Maximum power is 71kW and torque is at 134Nm, 90 percent of which is available from 2000rpm. As the instrument cluster does not include a rev counter, I'll just have to take the Japanese manufacturer at its word.

Apart from the palpable power available, the clutch setup is remarkable. A protection mechanism activates in the event that the clutch pedal is suddenly released, evenly engaging the link between the engine and transmission and greatly extending the life of the clutch.

I would have to go to great lengths to abuse the drive-train on this vehicle, but then again I treat every vehicle like it was my own.

However, I can envision that with regular heavy loads and incline starts, this could potentially save a lot of money and frustration.

Bench-seat territory

The cab has a sparse layout but there's plenty of headroom and legroom and a low step on each side makes getting in and out a cinch. The seat folds in a 60-40 split and while there are three seat belts in the cab, I wonder if three burly blokes would fit comfortably side-by-side. It does indeed seat three people, but it's best if the middle occupant is a little person.

The instruments are simple: a temperature gauge, speedometer and digital display for fuel and distance driven. A radio/CD/MP3 player and a basic fan-and-heater combination are the only extras. What is missing is the airconditioner. I would gladly pay extra for the added comfort after spending a few days driving in muggy Cape Town weather.

The fact that this truck is R30 000 cheaper than the cheapest model of its rivals makes it an ideal solution for city work. It also has a history of reliability to back it up. Even the fleet manager for Daihatsu?s media test vehicles ? a third party who is not employed by the Japanese manufacturer and who also works with other brands ? says that he has never had a single problem, mechanical or otherwise, with any Daihatsu he has had.

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