Isuzu D-Max up to the job

As ANYBODY who has ever owned an Isuzu commercial vehicle will testify, they do exactly what they say they’ll do. So it’s no surprise to learn that its new D-Max pick-up, which replaces the trusty Rodeo, is a light truck with few frills and little fancy. Yet Isuzu reckons that’s just what the market needs and predicts it’s going to become the UK’s best seller as a result.

The Isuzu D-Max pick-up has few frills but is an industrious and capable performer on and off the road

In an age where pick-ups are typically more fashion statements than actual workers, the austerity and simplicity of our test 2.5D single cab 4x4 came as a pleasant shock, not least because it kept the price down to less than £15,500 – and just £13,729 for the plain entry two-wheel drive Utility model.

The D-Max may lack some of the fancy fixtures you find on many of its rivals (the central locking is a dated key affair for example) but the essentials, such as fit and finish and build quality, are as good as ever, and Isuzu has recently launched a range of accessories if you want something more.

For instance, a roof bar rack (which takes up to 65kg loads) costs £154, the reversing camera and screen is £208, alloy wheels (and what a relief to see a hard-working vehicle running on plain easy-to-replace steel wheels for a change!) are from £583, and a small range of load covers starts at £150.

Typical of Isuzu, and of Subaru for that matter, the cabin is at best functional but it is comfortable with ample storage areas. A tailored set of heavy-duty seat covers to protect the originals comes in at a reasonable £375, but sat-nav is a £900 option even on the dearest lifestyle Utah model.

Isuzu says the load height has been reduced by 100mm, yet ride height has increased by 30mm for even better off-road performance. The manufacturer adds that some 90 per cent of its pick-ups are used for towing – more than its rivals – and so is trying to have the present 3,000kg limit raised to 3,500kg; it makes you wonder why a towbar is standard fitting. Another sign of Isuzu’s pragmatic approach is using old fashioned tailboard latches instead of the more fashionable single centre-pull handle.

You get the sense that the D-Max is made for work, and while the likes of a Mitsubishi L200 or VW’s excellent new Amarok are more civilised, the Isuzu is no roughneck either, with a particularly good unladen ride and quietness on the road.

The 2.5-litre twin turbodiesel is very gutsy and, allied to a standard six-speed manual gearbox, is rarely lacking in pulling power. The easily selected 4x4 system is as good as any and, like the Rodeo, the D-Max is made for going off the beaten track.

Despite its neat chunky looks, the D-Max will never become a fashionable lifestyle pick-up, and perhaps that’s to its advantage because it’s an honest-to-goodness quality hard worker that lets its talents do the talking – rather like those who own one.

VITAL STATS

MODEL Isuzu D-Max Utility 4x4

PRICE £15,479

WARRANTY 5 years/120,000 miles

SERVICE INTERVALS 12,000 miles

LOAD LENGTH 2305mm

LOAD WIDTH 1570 mm

LOAD HEIGHT 440 mm

PAYLOAD 1036kg

MAX TOWING LIMIT 3000kg

ECONOMY 38.2 mpg

CO2 EMISSIONS 194 g/km