A sturdy Shire Horse or a fancy show pony, Isuzu's big-hearted D-Max pick-up is available as a no-nonsense working tool or with all the bells and whistles; the choice is yours. That is one reason why it has lifted our Pick-up of the Year award once again.
Buyers can opt for either a 4x2 or a 4x4 and select from a four-door double cab, a two-door single cab or a stretched single cab with rear-opening side access half-doors. Open the bonnet whichever model you choose and you will find a very torquey and responsive 163hp 2.5-litre diesel married to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed auto ’box. The only real gripe we have is that the gearchange could do with being slightly more short-throw.
Gross payload is listed at approximately 1.0 to 1.1 tonnes depending on the variant chosen and the 4x4s are available with a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes. Four different specification levels are marketed with even entry-level models delivered with air-conditioning.
As if to hammer home D-Max's workhorse credentials Isuzu (UK) has been highlighting its ability to act as a platform for a variety of special conversions. They include the Brigade Response Vehicle from Pickup Systems, a compact fire appliance with a single-stage 3.5-bar pump, a 310-litre water tank and a 55m hose on an electric reel, and Cumberland Platforms UK's MEWP; Mobile Elevating Working Platform. Its telescopic boom can reach a working height of 13.2m, rotate through 360 degrees and is available with a basket capacity of 225kg; approximately equivalent to two workers and their equipment.
None of this should be taken to imply that a D-Max cannot be fun to own. Still being promoted on the Isuzu web site at the time of writing was the special edition Blade double cab 4x4, complete with a stack of extras including 18in alloys and black leather seats. Worth noting too is the new-found availability of the extended cab in premium Yukon trim.
So far as the practicalities are concerned, D-Max comes with a five-year/125,000-mile warranty. That tells you all you need to know about its dependability and durability.
When Isuzu replaced the Rodeo with D-Max it resisted the temptation to pump it up in size; it’s dwarfed by the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok. This makes it nimble — if a one-tonne pick-up can ever be called that — it doesn’t feel ‘big’ to drive and yet can handle just about anything thrown at it.
Click here for the full Award winner results.
Source: http://www.vansa2z.com/Isuzu-D-Max-Pick-up-of-the-Year-2015
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