Isuzu D-Max DL20 joins our fleet | Long-term test

Unless you happen to have been living under a large stone lately – or maybe in Afghanistan – you will no doubt be aware that the 4x4 pickup truck sector is at present in a state of turmoil.

The Labour government recently decided that these trucks would no longer be considered commercial vehicles for the purpose of benefit-in-kind (BiK) tax. The result of this move is that all the high earners who choose them as company vehicles, thereby saving a shedload of BIK tax, will no longer have this crafty little tax-saving avenue open to them.

While this may cause upset among the higher echelons of Great Britain plc, there are still plenty of businesses that actually buy pickup trucks because they are the only vehicles that will be capable of successfully tackling the jobs that are required of them.

And those companies are increasingly turning to Isuzu to fulfil their orders. The D-Max is a rising star in the sector, with the Japanese manufacturer launching a whole host of new derivatives like there’s no tomorrow – and hoovering up a pile of industry awards along the way too.

So, eschewing the higher grade models, the boy we picked for our latest six-month trial is one that many Fleet News readers are likely to choose  –  the DL20 double-cab manual, which weighs in at £33,395 ex-VAT. It’s a mid-range variant that offers a fleet-friendly performance with lots of standard goodies without breaking the bank.

We had a DL20 on test last year and were left mightily impressed by its macho looks, smooth on-road performance and its wealth of standard goodies, but this new version leaves us wondering just how much better these trucks could possibly get.

A dashing new front end leaves our D-Max looking even more macho than the last one, while Isuzu has managed to dial in such smooth on-road manners that on a smooth road, passengers closing their eyes could imagine themselves being wafted along on a magic carpet – well almost!. It’s a far cry from the old pick-ups we used to test back in the noughties which had such hard suspension that they would just about shake your fillings loose!

During the next six months we’ll be putting our truck through its paces in a variety of test situations – and we have no doubt that it will pass them all with flying colours.