Isuzu D-Max Yukon Passes the Toughest Test

Fresh after winning the inaugural ‘Pick-Up of the Year’ title at the annual Export& Freight Awards we were excited to get the opportunity to put the Isuzu D-MaxYukon 1.9 to the test ourselves, as Van Ireland’s Phil Eaglestone reports.

The awards were all about choosing a pick-up that excelled in terms of performance, payload, comfort and appeal, so what had the Yukon got that the other entries didn’t?

Finding out after picking up our test model from award winning dealers Eakin Bros was quite difficult, to be honest; we have driven a lot of other 4×4 vehicles of a similar calibre in our time, so like the awards judges we knew what we were looking for, and in the end we have to agree with them; taking all things into consideration, especially including price and an attractive warranty, the Yukon just had enough to get it over the winning line

There are two models in the range from which to choose, the Yukon Double Cab has comfortable space for five, while the Extended Cab version can cope with four, and it has a larger load bed.

With on the road prices starting at a shade under £27,000, you do get a lot for your money with the Yukon, including an impressive five year/
125,000 warranty – as well as 18” alloy wheels, reversing camera, silver side steps & colour coded bumpers, front and rear USB Ports, a 7” multifunction colour touchscreen, and six speaker sound system to list but a few of its appealing features; Bluetooth Connectivity also comes as standard.

With a driver-selectable 4WD system with 2WD, 4H and 4L modes, the Yukon can handle almost anything on and off-road – and it has plenty of power, too, thanks to its 1.9 litre Euro 6 compliant diesel engine, as well as great towing capacity, up to 3.5 tonnes with either a 2-axle or 3-axle trailer, and a payload capacity of 1,196kg. We didn’t do a fuel economy test, but we are reliably informed it will easily deliver over 40 mpg.

With great all round visibility, safety features on the D-Max also abound. These include Hill Start Assist which stops the vehicle from rolling downhill by applying the brakes for two seconds, allowing the driver to set the revs needed to get the vehicle moving. Then there’s Hill Descent Control: through automatically using the vehicle’s ABS system to maintain a consistent, low speed, means that there’s no need for the driver to touch the brake pedal when coming down an incline.

Looking great on the road, this is a tough and durable 4×4 that will take anything you throw at it during the working week, and will easily cover your leisurely pursuits at the week-end; we can see why the awards judges were attracted to it.