This one’s for die-hard fans

COLLABORATION: THE AT35 WAS BUILT WITH ARCTIC TRUCKS AND ISUZU MOTORS SA

Big and bold but left wanting in terms of tech and comfort.

South Africans have a real love for bakkies, even more so when they are big and bad, and it is no different for me. I enjoyed every moment I got to spend in Isuzu’s limited number, on order only D-Max Arctic AT35.

The AT35 is a collaboration between Arctic Trucks, a company based out of Iceland which is world renowned for re-engineering and converting four-wheel drive vehicles for extreme conditions, and Isuzu Motors South Africa.

The Struandale plant is the only Isuzu facility in the world accredited by Arctic Trucks to produce the AT35, which is build on the same line as the standard D-Max.

This is no sticker kit only upgrade, although you do get AT35 chrome badges on the front fenders and real tailgate.

Hidden under the aggressively flared wheelarches and Arctic Truck mudflaps are huge 35-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres mounted on 17x10-inch AT black alloy wheels, riding on a purpose designed lift kit and heavy-duty Bilstein dampers.

There are wider profile side steps, which are much needed as the AT35 is higher than standard.

In technical terms, the ground clearance is raised from 232mm to 266mm, and this in turn increases the AT35’s height from 1 810mm to 1 875mm, while the standard wading depth of 800mm climbs to 865mm, and the approach angle goes up to 33 degrees, from 30, with an improved departure angle of 23 degrees, up from 18, and the break-over angle is 34 degrees, from 22.5 degrees.

I strongly suggest genuine 4x4 experts stop reading now and go have a brandy and Coke, or shoot a bok or something, because with all this hardcore tech under me, and in way less technical terms, the best I managed was to go play in some puddles and mud at Gerotek with the AT35.

In my defence there was this section on one of the dirt roads that was completely covered in water, and as I was about to go barrelling into it, I spotted a duck having a good old swim in it, so I slammed on brakes and bailed.

I could have sworn I saw the duck smirk, and think to himself, “Go ahead big boy, mess my morning bath up if you must, but know there is a recovery tractor just waiting to come tow you out of here.”

The mud under the AT35 was seriously soft, and no matter how good it is, I don’t think it would have ended well if I gone ahead with my initial plan to test this bespoke Isuzu to the limit.

Since we were at Gerotek, I decided to give the AT35 a run at the clock on tar, which is 100% not what this Isuzu is about with those big wheels and increased size.

But I can say that despite only having 140kW of power and 450Nm on tap from its long-serving 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, the AT35 was quicker than all the previous generation Ford Rangers, including the 3.2-litre, five-cylinder, and the current generation Toyota Hilux models, minus the 165kW GR Sport.

Those previous-generation Rangers were not fast – in fact, I was so convinced I would run out of road before I hit 100km/h in the then bi-turbo diesel Raptor, I didn’t even bother taking it to Gerotek.

But what has happened since then is that Ford has stormed ahead, and their new 3.0-litre V6 turbo Raptor has brought the go to match the show – ain’t nobody catching that bakkie on dirt or tar.

And what Ranger has also done is moved the benchmark ahead in terms of technology, refinement and comfort, and it is here that the age of the Isuzu is exposed.

Despite being based on the topspec D-Max V-Cross, analogue instrument cluster displays, lowres, small infotainment screens and a diesel sounding powertrain is not going to cut it at this level.

And as much as I enjoyed my time with the D-Max Arctic AT35, as I said right in the beginning, this bakkie is for Isuzu diehard fans only, because at R1.12 million I would opt for the similarly priced, far more modern, and brutally fast Ford Ranger Raptor.