The Daily Telegraph
Pickup trucks like the Isuzu D-Max have never been popular in the UK, where the van is king. But since HMRC views them as commercial vehicles, they come with tax perks. “So should you consider one instead of an SUV?” The four-wheel-drive D-Max can tow up to 3.5 tonnes, and lives up to its “tough, no-nonsense” reputation. But there’s no denying it is “unrefined” next to a passenger car.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What Car?
The D-Max comes in layouts to suit everyone – from a single cab with a long bed, to an extended cab, or a family five-seater that doubles as a work truck. It’s also fairly well-equipped and comfortable inside, with good safety tech, a 7-9in infotainment system and both Apple and Android smartphone mirroring. It may not be “plush”, but it is well-built and should last beyond its five-year warranty.
Autocar
This new D-Max signals Isuzu – primarily a maker of commercial vehicles – going after the “lifestyle” market. But that doesn’t mean the car has gone soft; it remains “unfathomably capable” on rough terrain. That said, on the road the D-Max’s 162bhp 1.9-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel engine is noticeably loud and harsh. At the least, what Isuzu has delivered is good value durability in relative comfort.
-
Critics’ choice: The year’s top 10 moviesFeature ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘It Was Just an Accident’ stand out
-
The small Caribbean island courting crypto billionsUnder the Radar Crypto mogul Olivier Janssens plans to create a libertarian utopia on Nevis
-
Political cartoons for December 21Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include Christmas movies, AI sermons, and more
-
Critics’ choice: The year’s top 10 movies
Feature ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘It Was Just an Accident’ stand out
-
A luxury walking tour in Western AustraliaThe Week Recommends Walk through an ‘ancient forest’ and listen to the ‘gentle hushing’ of the upper canopy
-
Joanna Trollope: novelist who had a No. 1 bestseller with The Rector’s WifeIn the Spotlight Trollope found fame with intelligent novels about the dramas and dilemmas of modern women
-
Appetites now: 2025 in food trendsFeature From dining alone to matcha mania to milk’s comeback
-
Man vs Baby: Rowan Atkinson stars in an accidental adoption comedyTalking Point Sequel to Man vs Bee is ‘nauseatingly schmaltzy’
-
Goodbye June: Kate Winslet’s directorial debut divides criticsTalking Point Helen Mirren stars as the terminally ill English matriarch in this sentimental festive heartwarmer
-
A Christmas Carol (or two)The Week Recommends These are the most delightful retellings of the Dickens classic from around the country
-
‘Capitalism: A Global History’ by Sven Beckert and ‘American Canto’ by Olivia NuzziFeature A consummate history of capitalism and a memoir from the journalist who fell in love with RFK Jr.
