John Kendall takes delivery of an Isuzu D-Max pickup to test out its capabilities over the coming months.
Isuzu D-Max Utility Double Cab
P11d: £28,614 CVOTR (excl. VAT)
BiK: LCV flat rate £3,960
CO2 emissions: 219g/km
Economy: 33.6mpg
Test MPG: 42.4mpg
Report 1:
Just over 41,000 pickups were registered in the UK in 2023, up 38.7% on 2022. Many of these will have been company vehicles, either because the user needed the vehicle for their job or because they were taking advantage of the LCV flat rate of Benefit-in-Kind tax imposed on the vehicles, offering lower BiK tax rates than for cars. If that’s your motive, then the Isuzu D-Max is a good choice because its unladen weight of less than 2,040kg (1,985kg in the case of our D-Max) also means that it can be driven at car speed limits rather than LCV speed limits.
Isuzu launched the new-look D-Max range last year, bringing largely cosmetic changes with a new grille. Our base spec utility model is pitched at business users who are going to use it for work. Additional kit includes Isuzu’s silver pack of side bar, Pioneer screen and a reverse camera, as well as tailgate assist which damps the descent when opened, rubber floor mats, tow bar, 13-pin electrics and an over-rail load bed liner. So far, so good, except that the reversing camera is not connected, probably because the Pioneer audio system does not have a suitable screen.
The D-Max is proving to be a comfortable motorway cruiser, with the engine more subdued than when driving around town. Without a load area cover, luggage space is restricted to what you can carry in the cab, but so far that hasn’t been a problem. Fuel consumption is generally good too with mid-40s mpg on a longer trip and an average of 42.4mpg overall.
