Isuzu D-Max (2017)

The new generation of the Isuzu D-Max offers an update on a popular vehicle; everything that’s great about the pickup it replaces, gets a polish here. There’s also a new 1.9 litre turbocharged diesel engine and a choice of automatic or manual gearboxes, both six speed. It helps that the starting price of £15,749 for the utility single cab will attract attention – but not every buyer in this segment is swayed by a low price tag. The D-Max comes with a choice of single, extended and double cab variants. Essentially, the 2017 model of the Isuzu D-Max delivers a more rounded vehicle than the pickup it replaces and while the list of standard equipment has been improved and the refinement levels have risen, there’s a lot to like about this vehicle but it’s fighting in a competitive segment with pickups offering plusher cabins, more equipment and better handling. Perhaps it’s for this reason that the Isuzu D-Max is aimed squarely at utilitarian users such as farmers rather than those ‘lifestyle’ buyers who like the chunky good looks.