A RARE BREED
The Isuzu D-Max pickup is as rare as a Ferrari on Scotland's roads, despite its immense towing capacity
‘Listen,’ said my instructor at one moment during the off-road trials of the Isuzu D-Max pick-up. ‘There’s nothing to hear,’ I answered. ‘Precisely,’ he said with a triumphant smile. ‘Not a creak. Not a squeak.’
He was right. When it was pointed out, I realised that this was, indeed, a remarkable silence.
The D-Max was, at that moment, balancing with one of its rear wheels on a raised mound and the other in a trench. This is a test of the suspension’s articulation, to prove that, when the rear differential lock is engaged and low-ratio four-wheel drive is applied, the wheels will still turn at the same speed.
Confronted with this spine-twisting challenge, the chassis of most 4x4s – even some with hightone brand names and six-figure price tags – will groan and creak in their depths like the timbers of a wooden boat in a high sea. The D-Max was silently unperturbed.
The same was true of all the tests this new pickup faced in the disused quarry where Isuzu had chosen to stage their recent launch in Scotland. Whether it was wading through a lake with muddy water up to the middle of its snout or inching down a gradient as steep as a gabled roof under hill descent control, the D-Max proved to be the equal of any 4x4 on the market. If it can overcome these trials, only the upper reaches of the Cairngorms might defeat this vehicle.
Isuzu have put a lot of effort into improving the all-terrain performance of the D-Max, with strengthened rigidity for the ladder chassis, more sophisticated suspension front and back and more comprehensive underbody protection.
At the same time, more expensive versions have been loaded with creature comforts to make the D-Max a credible proposition as a family car or even for a romantic night out. It is remotely possible to imagine that a woman might not protest that she had discovered an urgent need to stay home and wash her hair if a man turned up for a date driving this car. Leather upholstery, heated seats with eight-way electric controls, a 9” multifunction touchscreen and no fewer than 10 cup-holders located around the cabin make for an almost civilised mode of transport.
In recent years, many major manufacturers have attempted to broaden the appeal of the basic farmer’s and trader’s pick-up with models that will seduce European customers for their ‘life-style’ qualities. The pick-up’s ability to lug around surf boards or bicycles has been stressed, rather than its capacity to carry workers to the fields. This marketing strategy does not appear to have been a complete success and squads of manufacturers have now given up on Europe, leaving only Ford, Toyota and Isuzu in the market in Scotland.
Though Isuzu’s name is very well-known elsewhere in the world, the D-Max is something of a dark horse here. Only nine dealers represent the brand in Scotland and only about 600 units of the new D-Max are expected to be sold here in any year, making it almost as rare as a Ferrari.
If I were in the market for a pick-up, however, this D-Max would be top of my list. Its one tonne payload and three and a half tonne towing capacity give it the ability to cope with any load that might come up in the course of a normal life and the spacious seats of the double-cab versions would offer my family more luxury than perhaps they deserve.
On the road, the D-Max may not be as engaging as a Ferrari but the new stiffer suspension largely eliminates body roll in corners and the two-litre diesel engine is willing, if not lively. Average fuel consumption is around 30mpg, while CO2 emissions are around 230g/km. Prices range between £25,000£39,000 but you could pay three times as much for a toff ’s 4x4 that would flounder in the D-Max’s tracks off-road.
“The D-Max proved to be the equal of any 4x4 on the market