You’d be hard pressed to find a car or truck that didn’t offer an impressive array of comfort options in the base specification today.
That’s why it was no surprise that when the new Isuzu D-Max Utility model turned up on farm, we found it to be kitted out with a host of features that a few years ago would have been options at the higher end of the range.
Indeed, looking through the specs, the only things missing from this truck are the full touchscreen, infotainment system (ours had the DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity), fancier seat fabric and heated seats.
Cold posteriors aside, there really wasn’t anything that would be a detriment to the driver or the passengers.
This does, however, explain why the Utility, when fitted with the double cab and six-speed automatic gearbox, is just a couple of thousand pounds less than the next comparable model in the range.
It looks the part too, with plenty of ground clearance when sitting on the 18in wheels; a well-sized rear deck that can fit a conventional bale between the wheel arches and has plenty of roping points to secure it to 1.1t; as well as the tidy Onyx Black paintjob.
This is all well and good, but a farm vehicle isn’t just a talking point that sits in the yard. Beyond these features it needs to be able to handle the day-to-day rigours of farmwork. Jumping into the driving seat, we found there was plenty of space both upfront and in the back.
Starting the four-cylinder engine, the cab remained quiet even as we took it around the yard, and over the fields to get our bearings.
Despite being a large unit, it didn’t feel unwieldy to drive, and was narrow enough that we could comfortably take it through the nearby towns and villages, and park without any issues.
Taking it on a longer run down the motorway, we were impressed with the fuel consumption, which sat at just under 35mpg at 70mph and got above 40mpg when we had to drop down to 50mph in one of the many blocks of ongoing roadworks.
Speed adjustment
The cruise control function with automatic speed adjustment offers a really nice touch. Using the sensors, the truck will measure the distance between you and the car in front, meaning that when a car slipped below the speed limit, the Isuzu matched this without us having to interfere.
While there’s no doubt a limit to how drastically this system will react to others on the road, during the week we had the truck on test, we did not have to touch the cruise control once it was set.
In general use, the six-speed transmission worked well, with smooth shifting that didn’t jolt the driver or passengers. It was only when we had the cruise control set to 50mph that we encountered any niggles.
At this speed, the box was constantly shifting up and down, as if it was right on the cusp of fifth and sixth gear. This seemed to be the only point in the speed range where this was an issue, and driving without the cruise control didn’t create the same problem – likely because of the more constant engine speed shifts brought about by using the pedal.
It was also interesting to see how much information Isuzu has managed to cram into the 4.2in digital dashboard.
This was both a positive and a negative. It’s a clear, well-lit screen and, for the most part, all the information is easy to digest.
But with so much technology integrated into the truck, including lane assist, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition, you could be bombarded with pop-ups on a standard drive, which risk drawing your eyes away from the road.
Put to work
Our first real task was bale deliveries. The farm runs a single-cab Ford Ranger, so the smaller rear deck required a rethink of the deliveries.
However, it was big enough to comfortably fit a round bale of hay in. When we dropped the bale in with the loader, the rear suspension barely moved, keeping everything secure as we made our deliveries.
The rear deck was amply sized to hold 10 conventional bales comfortably – just wide enough to allow two bales to be stacked end to end without limiting the view to the rear from the side mirrors.
The rear deck is easy to clean out thanks to the plastic cover, meaning we could sweep out excess hay. Additionally, when we took a new wheel and tools out to the field to keep the wrapper going after a puncture, an oil leak from the jack was easily cleaned up.
These tasks meant we took the Isuzu over rough terrain and into fields, and the ground clearance was ample to deal with it. In the cab, the bumps and contours were smoothed out by the suspension.
Speaking to the contractor who owns the farm, they said they were surprised by how quickly they got used to the automatic transmission and the control schemes within the truck.
“It’s very intuitive. Our Ford is a manual box, so I thought it would take a little while to get my head around it, but it’s all very easy to use and you feel safe driving it.”
They also put the machine through its paces, hooking up a trailer and towing around the business’ mini digger.
The D-Max Utility has a towing capacity of 3.5t, and this setup was just below that maximum weight. While it was never put in a situation where it would need it, it also comes with automatic trailer sway control, which lowers the speed of the truck if it detects that the trailer is about to start moving.
“Honestly, it felt more secure than our own truck. It handled the trailer well and had plenty of power to keep pushing forward with the weight behind it.”
Impressive but pricey
Despite some minor niggles around the gearing ratios at that 50mph range, and the digital dashboard, the Isuzu D-Max Utility was an impressive machine.
One that could fit comfortably within a farming business, either as a day-to-day business workhorse, or simply a nice truck to pile the workforce into to drive down to Lamma.
The only real problem we could see with it is the price. The model we tested retails at £31,595, although you could drop this by £2,000 by opting for the manual box.
With the same capacity specifications, users could upgrade to the DL20 or DL40 for just a little more – gaining more of the creature comfort features. Of course, the need for these features would depend on whether it’s simply a work truck, or more of an all-round farm vehicle.