Isuzu D-Max XTR

What is it? Before I go into what it is, the more important and relevant question is, why is it? Not to get all existential, the XTR is Isuzus attempt to get a foothold into the lifestyle pickup market that appears to be making a resurgence. Isuzu have said that the XTR will sit firmly between the Blade and AT35 in their adventure range.

Everyone knows that Isuzu makes a tough truck, after all, they’re the oldest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world and were the first company to offer diesel engines in commercial vehicles over 80 years ago.

So, what do you get with the XTR? Well the most obvious difference is the unmistakable black cladding, which covers the bumper, bonnet and wheel arch extensions. There are proper heavy duty side steps too that are protected by a ‘Raptor’ coating.

At the rear there’s a tailgate spoiler and a new rear bumper with fake twin exhaust outlets. Although it looks good, it sits a bit too low for my liking.

Flashes of green are dotted around on the wheel arches and the brake callipers, which hide behind 17” black alloy wheels and 32” (265-70-17) Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tyres. Isuzu incidentally are the first manufacturer to fit them as standard.

Suspension wise, Isuzu have worked closely with Pedders who have furnished the XTR with its own suspension package which raises the frame by 25mm and provides an extra 250mm of ground clearance.

Pedders have also improved the XTR’s stopping distances by including their new Kevlar ventilated discs and pads at the front.

On the road Being 250mm taller that the normal D-Max and having 32” tyres you’d perhaps imagine the XTR being a bit top heavy and wallowy around corners, well Pedders have seen to that. Of course there’s a little lean, but that’s normal, no, the XTR handled itself well on the twisty Welsh roads, which included part of the famed EVO Triangle and overall felt well planted on tarmac.

Worthy of a mention is that the XTR retains its kerb weight of only 1970kg, meaning that you’re able to drive legally at 60 and 70mph on dual carriageways, unlike offerings from Ford with the Wildtrack and Raptor weighing in at over 2 tonnes and therefore classed as commercial vehicles with speed limitations.

Off road Credit where credit’s due, Isuzu have taken the crown from Jeep and arranged probably the best off-road circuit I’ve ever driven on a 4x4 launch. The brief, Isuzu told me afterwards, was to make the routes both as challenging and as scary as possible, and they succeeded!

Driving through the forest tracks I was initially a tad concerned because the D-Max doesn’t have a rear diff-lock, but it was of no concern because it didn’t matter how slow and controlled I drove through the undergrowth and along side slopes, the XTR maintained traction throughout. The relatively new Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tyres coupled to Isuzu’s 4-wheel drive system did a remarkable job.

If I was impressed by its performance through mud and streams, our next challenge was tackling purpose made tracks around Ffestiniog Slate Mine.

The gruelling circuit was around an hour long and consisted of a lot of steep ascents and descent on slippery slate and lose stone, and not once did the XTR give cause for concern. I, on the other hand, looked at some of the inclines and desperately tried to remember what to do in the case of a failed hill climb! I needn’t have worried, the formidable D-Max proved once again why it has a top-knotch reputation in these kind of environments.

The huge approach angle helped considerably with some of the obstacles but I was always a bit concerned about catching the rear bumper. I never did.

The XTR simply climbed all of the purpose built tracks, and as someone who’s been green-laning and trialling for over 30 years, I have never been more impressed by a standard vehicle, let alone an unladen pickup, to make less of a fuss and make everything appear easy. Bravo.

Interior Along with a D shaped leather and suede hand finished steering wheel, which was a joy to feed through my sweaty palms, the XTR also gets its very own ‘sports seats’, which are padded and finished in mix of leather, suede and carbon fibre leather upholstery with green overstitching. As well as being quite snug they were very comfortable and offered exceptional support both on and off road.

What about infotainment you may ask, that’s provided by a Pioneer system which includes a 7” touchscreen display, eight speakers, steering-wheel mounted controls, USB ports front and rear and of course Bluetooth. The XTR Nav+ which costs £1,150 more than the standard XTR adds sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a DAB radio.

Pickup stuff The XTR has a 3.5t towing capacity and one tonne payload, and although it has a load bed that’s wider and deeper than most of its competitors, at 1,485mm long it’s one of the smallest in the double-cab segment.

Included as standard are the load bed liner, lashing points and the tailgate dampener.

Engines ‘n’ transmissions As I’ve written previously, the D-Max only comes with their 1.9ltr diesel engine which doesn’t require the extra expense of AdBlue. It produces 162bhp (at 3,600rpm) and 360Nm (between 2,000 and 2,500rpm). On a personal level I much prefer the smooth 6-speed automatic ‘box over the manual, it just feels more relaxed.

Conclusion OK, the body kit and wheel extensions may not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s no doubt it stands out, and my only problem with it seems rather petty, and that’s for such a stand-out vehicle it’s only available in either white, grey, black or silver - the dullest and most uninspiring colours ever! Thankfully though you can have a range of decals to liven it up a little.

Fair play to Isuzu for letting us motoring writers put the XTR through two proper offroad routes, they taxed us and the vehicles to the extreme which shows just how much confidence Isuzu have in their vehicles. And on the subject of confidence, Professional 4x4 and Pickup conducted a survey recently with all of it’s readers, and for reliability and cost of ownership, the D-Max came out on top - clicky link

I was so impressed with the XTR that I actually looked at financing one, but realistically I’ll have to wait a good few years when prices have fallen to my level of affordability. At that point I can see myself buying one, chucking on a rear cab, roof tent and a set of drawers in the back and I’ll be as happy as Larry!

Availability wise, The Isuzu D-Max XTR has been for sale since April but the first deliveries only just taking place. The XTR starts at £33,999 plus VAT, rising to £34,999 for the automatic, the Nav+ is £1,150 more and available on both manual and automatic.

The D-Max XTR has Isuzu’s reputable 5-year, 125,000-mile warranty. more at » www.isuzu.co.uk/xtr