Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
You don’t have to be a construction worker or delivery guy to benefit from driving a pick-up truck. Men (and occasionally women too) can always enjoy the utility, power and durability of these bulky machines.
In the past, pick-ups were loud, cramped and cumbersome but modern incarnations offer drivers much more. Four doors and seating for five passengers is commonplace.
And they look pretty cool too.
Before the popularisation of SUVs, pick-ups were the ride of choice for people looking to conquer difficult, off-road terrain and these cargo-hauling wonders can still do it today.
The 2013 Isuzu D-Max is a pick-up with character. It’s longer, wider and has a taller body than the outgoing model, which makes it great for daily use as well as heavy duty tasks.
Equipped with a Turbo diesel engine, the Isuzu D-Max is available in three grades, basic, mid and LS, and in three engine options, the 2.5-litre, 80PS at 3800 rpm, the 2.5L, 110PS at 3400 rpm intercooled common rail engine and the 3.0L, 136PS at 3400 rpm intercooled engine with flat torque performance.
I took the mid-range model for a spin around the island and it proved to be an experience I’ll not soon forget.
The cabin was spacious and comfortable, but strictly a no frills affair. It had the obligatory radio and CD player, but aside from that it was a steering wheel, three pedals and a gearstick.
It’s been about four years since I last drove a car with a manual gearbox and even then the gearstick was on the other side. So, when I got behind the wheel of my gleaming pick-up truck, it took some time to remember the basics of clutch control.
After a tentative start I found my way onto the road and no sooner had I pulled out of the showroom I stalled the engine (the first of many times during the test drive).
My most embarrassing stall of the day was at a traffic light in Sanad. A growing number of angry drivers stuck behind me vented their frustration in a wild frenzy of beeping. Why do they love honking their horns so much in Bahrain?
However, in my head, I could only hear my old driving instructor berating me in his dulcet Scottish tones for not finding the biting point as the traffic lights turned from red to amber.
I’m not usually one to make excuses, but I recently injured my hand (embarrassing cooking injury) and for the past week it’s been wrapped in a comically-large bandage. While ordinarily this wouldn’t prove a hindrance, it makes shifting gears a real challenge, so to all the people I inconvenienced last week, I’m sorry!
Luckily, I kept on truckin’, found my rhythm, started shifting like an old pro and actually began to enjoy the experience. Soon I was subliminally listening to the notes from the engine to know when it was time to change gear and did it instinctively.
You feel so much more connected with the vehicle in a manual, and you feel like you’re driving the car rather than it driving you.
The new chassis on the model I tested provided firm balance and performance, delivering a very stable ride. This comes in handy if you’re lugging heavy goods in the rear.
The acceleration was decent and this beast makes an awesome roar as you pull off in first gear, which is always a good way to get noticed … not that I needed any help as the Isuzu I drove had ‘test drive model’ scrawled on the side.
Prices start from BD6,850.
For more information, visit Motorcity – Commercial Vehicles Showroom, Nuwaidrat, call 17702111, or visit www.motorcity.com.bh
