Isuzu D-Max 4x4

With only one model to sell, it appears like a speck on the car sales map.

But as a small company, Isuzu is a lot more focused on the ins and outs of making a hard-working, cost-effective pick-up than it says its massive rivals can be.

Those rivals include the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi L200 and Toyota Hilux – three leviathans of the breed with quite impeccable CVs.

Yet sales of Isuzu pick-ups in the UK totalled 2,762 during 2012, an increase of 13.6 per cent over 2011.

And the mid-year arrival of the Isuzu D-Max, the newest model from the Japanese marque, contributed to the best half-year sales performance in the company’s UK history.

Isuzu sold 2,028 units of D-Max across the UK in the second half of 2012. This represents an 89.7 per cent increase in sales over the same period in 2011, driving Isuzu to second place in the pick-up sales charts for the period. Isuzu UK also ranked first in non-fleet sales of pick-ups during the second half of the year.

So much for it being a no-hope underdog, then.

Isuzu’s record-breaking year contributed to the UK being the company’s number one market in Europe during 2012 and represented the third consecutive year of growth for the company.

So what’s driving us towards this tough nut, when the more established and much better known brands are so entrenched in the psyche of buyers in this sector?

Isuzu points to four factors – its powerful, efficient engine, the rather sensible purchase prices, a fiveyear/ 125,000-mile warranty and excellent residual values.

You can add to that the network of dealers who are complete experts in Isuzu’s products rather than only viewing the pick-up line as an aside to a consumer cars business. The company aims to offer buyers what they really need – a top-drawer understanding of what a working vehicle needs to do and a detailed knowledge of the product range – from an Isuzu franchise.

It’s the buying experience that makes it easy, but naturally if the product falls short of expectations then it won’t sell, no matter how good the dealers are.

Fortunately, the new D-Max pickup, built to replace the long-serving Rodeo, is something of a surprise.

At first glance the spec sheet reveals nothing remarkable, but behind the wheel, both off- and onroad, the D-Max is exactly what it needs to be – and more.

There are four trim levels and three cab types to choose from, but the basic platform and 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine are shared. The four trim choices go from the basic D-Max through Eiger and Yukon up to the top-spec Utah, while your cab options span single cab, extended cab and full double cab – but only on the basic D-Max.

Once you climb above D-Max it’s double cab only. It’s fair enough in a way but also a bit annoying, because while Isuzu has a fair argument with its obvious point that people who pay for nice extras aren’t among those who’ll really batter their vehicles around and therefore probably don’t need the full potential load bay space more than they need rear seats, some people would still like the choice.

The basic D-Max, with its steel wheels, two- and four-wheel-drive options and relatively basic, bashresistant interior, is likely to be the real working man’s favourite. Its nononsense approach to getting the job done gives it the kind of appeal enjoyed by old Land Rover Defenders.

You also get the highest payload in the D-Max single cab because it weighs less than the double cab options.

The Utah is a real looker though, with roof bars, side steps and a load liner neatening the package up a treat. It’s like a rough Irish horse handler after a morning with Brad Pitt’s styling team.

With leather seats, climate control and luxury features dotted around, it’s more a lifestyle pick-up than a working vehicle, although it still has around one tonne’s worth of payload capacity in the load bay.

The grumbly engine offers a good balance of torque and economy, offering oodles of useful natural pulling grunt without needing to be revved too hard. With a towing capacity of three tonnes, the D-Max can’t quite match the best towers out there, but it’s plenty for most applications and even provides a quite pleasant drive at motorway speeds.

The dashboard mostly shows a lot of thought has gone into the D-Max.

All the buttons are broad, chunky and robust, so you can use them easily with freezing cold hands, while wearing thick gloves or when you’ve had a bad day. Yet the audio display is awful – you will need the eyesight of an eagle to make the switch from radio to CD or swap wavelengths, and the tiny buttons here are poorly suited.

Although there’s no locking differential arrangement, you get switchable two-to-four-wheel-drive and a low-range gearbox for serious off-road tasks. The stability control and traction control are set to account for mud and gravel, and actively help maintain a safe stance in awkward environments like quarries.

We all like an underdog – and this one is doing very nicely, thank-you.

ISUZU D-MAX 4X4 SINGLE CAB

PRICE: £16,249 (exc VAT)

ENGINE: 2.5-litre turbodiesel producing 161bhp

TRANSMISSION: six-speed manual gearbox driving all four wheels

PERFORMANCE: top speed: 112mph

ECONOMY: 38.2mpg CO2

RATING: 194g/km