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• TROOPER

28th February 1991
Page 36
Page 36, 28th February 1991 — • TROOPER
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By contrast the Isuzu Trooper Duty is fundamentally an on-road vehicle with an off-road capability. Its soft suspension, geared towards passenger comfort on the road, allows a lot of body roll at the rear end which detracts from its handling both on and off road.

The ride becomes very bouncy when put to the test over rough ground. With four-wheel drive engaged, whether in deep mud, snow or on losse gravelled inclines, the freewheeling front hubs on our manual-transmission model had to be locked in by hand.

This appears to be a short-sighted form of cost cutting. Anyone buying a 4x4 for commecial use presumably anticipates regular off-road use: passenger models include automatic engagement and disengagement as standard.

Nonetheless, there's no doubting the Trooper's hill-climbing capability. It will restart on a 33% (1-in-3) incline in normal drive leaving the lower four gears afforded by the two-speed transfer box in reserve for something more demanding — such as descending the same hill without fear of over-revving the engine and without using the brakes.

The umbrella-type park brake lever, protruding from below the centre of the dash, works well enough and is easy to release.

Small diesels are said to be Isuzu's speciality. This unit was certainly smooth and powerful, developing 70kW (94hp) at a lazy 3,800rpm and 215Nm (1581bft) at 2,10Orpm.

That's almost identical to the Peugeot's slightly smaller Citroen engine, but with a lower compression ratio.

General Motors has a substantial shareholding in Isuzu, and its British subsidiary, Vauxhall Motors, imports the all-wheeldrive Isuzu Brava pickup. But it is left to Isuzu (UK), which is a subsidiary of International Motors, to import and market the Trooper.

The short-wheelbase, three-door Trooper readily converts to its van role with the side windows blanked in and rear seats and trim removed.

The side-hinged asymmetric rear doors open almost the full width of the vehicle to give ready access to a respectable load area which also has the capacity for almost a tonne of payload.

Standard trim includes a pair of chunky seats with height adjustment for the driver. The console between the seats incorporates a clock and control for the headlamp washers — but if the driver wants to use the washers at night he'll have to fumble for it.

The single stalk switch to the right of the steering column combines the controls for the indicators and headlight dip. This is reminiscent of earlier Japanese models and will not suit European drivers.

We were surprised by the lack of a radio in this up-market vehicle. Above: Isuzu's turbocharged diesel develops its maximum power at a lazy 3,800rpm. Below: Vinyl and tweed are an unlikely combination to provide such comfort.

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