Almost five years into the South African car market, the Chinese car maker JMC is making inroads.
Chinese brands sceptics would be quick to dismiss such brands but a closer look at them reveals they are onto something.
A little over ten years ago, the likes of GWM and Foton were also laughed at but today, some in the agriculture and construction industries swear by those brands.
Though the JMC still has to earn its stripes the little that I've experienced of their Vigus bakkie was not an entirely bad experience.
Firstly, the build quality is nothing like some of the Chinese car brands that flooded the SA market in the early/mid 2000s. At first glance, the Vigus gives an impression that it's been around longer, but this is because it is not far off from the bakkies you know and trust. Looking at it reminds me of the Isuzu KB. On test was the Vigus double cab powered by the 2.4-litre diesel manual gearbox.
Though, there were a few annoying things (which I'd call teething problems), the Vigus overall performance and ride quality was not bad.
In fact such brands always reminds me of the Korean manufacturers. Before Hyundai became the phenomenon brand that it is today, it used to be the laughing stock of the '80s and '90s. Today, it is a giant of a brand. That however, took years of hard work, perseverance and learning from one's mistakes. In SA, Hyundai had to pack and leave before coming back for a second try. Kia, Hyundai's sister brand also experienced some market hostility in the beginning but their patience paid off.
JMC are on the right track, they need to fix a few things and the market will embrace them.
Pricing starts from R250 000 up to R376 000.
It comes with a 3 year/100 000km warranty and 5 year/60 000 service plan.
