Isuzu D-Max review, test drive

The engine roars to life and is still fairly audible at idle. It sounds a bit listless initially, but then smoothens out in the mid-range. The turbo lag lasts until about 2,100rpm and then the boost comes in quite cleanly. However, this being a pick-up, first and second gears are frustratingly short, but it's all in the interest of getting all your heavy cargo moving more easily from a standstill. Gears three to five are quite flexible, and with nothing weighing the deck down, overtaking in the D-Max was pretty effortless. The gearbox is a touch notchy, but nothing out of the ordinary for this segment. However, you do need to slip the clutch a bit when setting off, or else it is quite easy to stall.

Now, like any load-lugger worth its payload, the D-Max has leaf-spring rear suspension. And like just about every pick-up truck around, when the rear deck is empty, the ride is very bouncy as the unladen rear end skips over every little bump. And unlike the Xenon XT and even the Mahindra Scorpio Getaway, the Isuzu has a smaller, two-seat cab, which means an even stronger frontward weight bias. If the road is smooth, however, it does just fine, and high-speed stability in such conditions is good too. Because the centre of gravity is lower than in an equivalent SUV, it doesn't roll as much in the corners, but of course, it's a UV, not a sportscar.

With these two flavours of D-Max, Isuzu aims to tackle both the entry-level end of the pick-up spectrum against the likes of the Bolero, and the more lifestyle-oriented space occupied by the Xenon XT. When it comes to the latter, it hasn't quite got all its bases covered though. The ride may be the norm for commercial duties, but it won't go down so well with the businessman who wants a third car to use at his farmhouse. The same goes for the cabin and equipment; it's no luxury SUV, but a little bit of colour and some more creature comforts would not go amiss. The biggest problem, by far, is that the D-Max must be registered as a commercial vehicle, and therefore you need a CV license to drive it. It's a smart looking truck with a solid engine and great build quality, and given its strong reputation overseas, it's bound to handle utility duties well too. At Rs 7.09 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) this arched cab version also undercuts its main rivals, the Mahindra Scorpio Getaway and Tata Xenon XT by a significant margin. But while it might be a hit with goods carriers, having to get an all-new license just to drive one is a big deterrent for private buyers.