Chris Johnson reviews the Isuzu D-Max Utility Double Cab

Sure, the pickup looks about the same as its more expensive higher up the model chain family members but noticing the 18-inch steel wheels, lack of chrome and no side steps for starters you soon become fully aware of the meaning of the word Utility.

This is definitely a zero fuss, get in, get to work, do your job, get home type vehicle, the rinse out floor covering further enhancing the fact that this truck is supposed to earn its keep with perhaps a trip to market or the corner shop occasionally thrown in.

So, who would buy such a vehicle in this specification? Well, anyone who hates soggy, muddy carpets with ingrained dog hair and straw thrown in for good luck, the livestock owners, the contractors with their leaky oil cans, the utility companies and the like have bought them and continue to buy them in droves.

With a retail price of just over £25k they are an affordable pickup and despite the “basic” trim the truck comes well stacked with useful gizmos that owners really need, such as the high beam assist, auto wipers, full size spare wheel, air con, USB port, hill start assist and advanced driver assist systems.

These pickups will easily get you and your team to site, with all the kit needed for the day thanks to a payload of just over 1.1 tonne and a towing capacity of 3.5 tonne matched with a 5 year or £125k mile warranty and should you ever need it a 5-year roadside assistance package they really do offer a savvy buyer a perfect vehicle for today’s modern business, where ownership is always key, where leather seats are best in your office and sat nav best on your phone.

Definitely try one out and perhaps opt for the automatic for the sake of an extra £1000…it would add to the refinement without breaking the budget.

Pros

• Low price 
• Low fuss 
• Great package

Cons 

• Slightly noisier in cabin 
• Prefer auto 
• Needed side steps as I am too old to stretch!