2023 PICK-UP OF THE YEAR
ISUZU D-MAX Second full year on sale • Range expanded upwards with new AT35 model • Auto option
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espite having already won this award in 2021, the D-Max has still only been on sale in the UK for one full year. Yet Isuzu is not resting on the laurels of what was a highly successful launch. In the face of the global supply issues that have dogged the motor industry in general, the Japanese pick-up specialist has broadened its range post-launch by widening the scope of the options available and adding a whole new model. The latter is the AT35, which has been part of Isuzu’s vibe around the D-Max for several years now. It’s modified pre-registration by Arctic
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Trucks, meaning you can get one with lifted suspension and 35” tyres that counts as factory-spec for warranty and insurance purposes. The AT35 is based on the V-Cross model, which was already at the top of the range, so it’s an exclusive toy for buyers with serious money. Isuzu did, however, use it as the basis of its Basecamp concept, whose overlanding fit-out showed a real understanding of its market. It’s at the other end of the range, though, that Isuzu has impressed most this year. Almost all versions are now available with the popular option of automatic transmission, and also with a locking rear diff –
both previously denied to buyers of entry-level vehicles.
RANGE
Isuzu divides the D-Max line-up into three sub-ranges: Business for the Utility, All-Purpose for the mid-range DL20 and DL40 and Adventure for the V-Cross and AT35. There are the usual three cab styles, with Single-Cab available only in Utility form, Extended-Cab also in DL20 and Double-Cab across the board. Whichever you go for, you’ll get air-con, cruise control and lumbar adjust as standard, as well as DAB and Bluetooth. That’s a lot of the big boxes ticked; the DL20 adds alloys,
heated seats and parking sensors, while the DL40 brings leather, climate, LEDs, chrome styling and a media system with phone pairing. Finally, the V-Cross and AT35 give you gunmetal styling and a bigger media screen. And whichever you go for, a further development this year saw Isuzu introduce a wide new range of dealer-fit accessories for work and play alike.
CABIN
The D-Max has a spacious and comfortable interior which, in Double-Cab form, allows plenty of room for one six-footer to sit behind another. That’s no small matter;
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