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Fleet sweet
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Page 51
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Its goodbye from Isuzu and its hello from Volkswagen. We report on a long-term test fleet in transition, with an entrance and an exit from two solid players.
G-TEIIKTEST VEHICW, FINAL REPORT ISUZU RODEO DENVER MAX IPrice: £15,314 Engine: 2 5-litre 138HP Payload:1,075kg Mileage:13 2C1l] Expenses: None Faults: None Average mpg: 3.9 With every Long-termer we say goodbye
to, there always a hint of sadness, no matter how they perform. It's only natural when you're thrown together for a period of time that you learn to fully appreciate a vehicle's attributes (and tolerate its shortcomings) as you become familiar with its character.
And so it is with a heavy heart we say au revoir to Isuzu's Rodeo Denver Max.
When it arrived, we didn't expect too much from the double-cab pick-up — it came with none of the cosmetic razzmatazz of a similarly loaded Mitsubishi L200 or the presence of Nissan's imposing Navara.
What we can say, though, is that this vehicle delivered in the most fundamental of requirements. It did the business without any complaint.
From long-distance winter motorway work, complete with apocalyptic weather conditions (that's the North for you), to the crammed chaos of congested city streets (that'll be London, then), it delivered its performance in a calm and easy manner.
There was a touch of the 'no-frills' about the interior. And once it became a bit dirty, the grey drabness of it did start to dent the psyche, while the seats, although comfortable enough, could have benefitted from harderwearing cloth to cope with those who like to abuse their pick-ups inside and out.
However, what you really needed was present in terms of essentials. Air-con, electric windows and mirrors, a dash-mounted 4WD ratio selector and leather steering wheel and gear shifter all came as standard, helping to make up for the lack of 'cutting-edge' bells and whistles inside, and were complemented by enough space and storage to keep you happy.
All this was fashioned around a chassis that was forgiving and compliant, without being overly vague or floaty in the corners.
And the engine, although not the most powerful, had an easy nature and progressive delivery. and much like the rest of the Isuzu, delivered when required without any drama or showboating.
Admittedly, it did occasionally feel sluggish and a touch rough on start-up after standing overnight, but once it got 'on song', it performed capably. JM Our Latest edition to the CM long-term fleet had already negotiated one major hurdle, carrying us back to England from its birthplace at the Volkswagen factory in Hannover, Germany (CM 15 May, 'European Vacation'). And on that occasion, it proved to be a sound drive over the 500-mile journey. But now it's back in England — and South London to boot.
But before we get going, here's a few technical details to get you up to speed. Our Transporter weighs in at 3,000kg GVW, it is powered by a 2.5-litre five-cylinder 128hp turbo-diesel engine, complete with a six-speed manual gearbox, and, having a free reign of the options brochure, we chose pretty much everything else as well.
What we liked on initial contact during our drive back from Germany still remains. The cabin continues to impress with its level of design and function, and a special mention must be made of the uprated driver's seat (OK, it costs /1,000, but, oh, the comfort).
There's the usual superior build quality and excellent soundproofing designed to keep the outside world at bay, but there's also the usual Volkswagen trait of poor engine refinement from its Pumpe Dilse (but no common-rail technology) unit.
It's by no means intolerable, and the Transporter pulls well enough when required, but it ruins the good work elsewhere with its lack of overall refinement.
The same can't be said of the ride and handling, though. They are first rate and make light work of the urban environment, where it feels nimble and responsive thanks in large part to the direct steering and sound body control The same attributes also work well on longer journeys, where that strong build quality also comes to the fore. It helps to imbue a sense of confidence and stability when driving at speed.
As for the business end, designs don't really get more practical, with excellent access via the generously wide side doors, and solid build offering little to grumble about.
The design also makes the available space easy to utilise to its full potential, although we would definitely recommened going for the optional rubber floor matting (fl15) to absorb the knocks and grip the load. JM