Cape Town - Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu KB, and these days even the Fiat Fullback and Mitsubishi Triton makes the cut of awesome vehicles when you think of bakkies. With such amazing offerings its each to forget the smaller, single cabs are legendary vehicles in their own right.

Nissan's NP200 ICE is one of those gems, and the only reason I haven't purchased one yet is because there's no room for my sprog and her car seat. A double-cab bakkie in this form just wouldn't look right.

Overall, it's great as an everyday workhorse and definitely plays the part of a lifestyle bakkie when you need it. It's zippy enough to race about to and fro and steady enough to handle heavy loads for agricultural/commercial duties.

Here are 5 reasons why we fancy this little bakkie.

1. It's funky and good-looking.

The NP200 has sharper lines, a new grille that makes it fit inline with other Nissan siblings. It's fitted with a bull-bar at the front and a sports bar at the rear. Bumpers are black plastic and help the bakkie achieve a more rugged look. It also sports spotlights and cool decals. It looks just as good on the inside

2. The 1.5 dCI is a winner

Power figures are everything, and although 63kW doesn't look that great on paper, it's more than suffice on the road with a gutsy 200Nm. It's never lazy and always ready to go when you apply the accelerator. It's able to be used as a daily drive and a workhorse in a pinch.

3. It's super frugal

With a rated combined fuel consumption of only 5.3 litres/100km, you could go quite distance with this little Nissan soldier. And since there aren't too many systems other than the air conditioner to consume more fuel, you're guaranteed to get more than enough kilometres for your hard-earned Rand.

4. Less is always more

Neat and tidy interiors are a must in my books, and the NP200 Ice ticks that box with flying colours. It's uncluttered, simple and easy to use. There's even some space behind the two seats for small parcels, bags or jackets. It's cheap too, for a bakkie.

5. It really is as cool as ice

No really, the NP200 can help you stay cool by loading up its load bed and turning it into a giant cooler box for a weekend out camping, or on the rugby field. Or just an easy-access alternative to a freezer while having a braai at home with friends. The load bed comes fully rubberised by using a a spray-on polyurethane. This makes the bakkie's bay ore durable for any tasks at hand.