What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

If you’re looking for a shrinking violet of a light commercial vehicle then you probably won’t be in the market for a pick-up truck anyway, and you most certainly won’t be heading down to your local Isuzu UK dealership to check out the special edition D-Max AT35.

The AT stands for Arctic Trucks, the Icelandic 4x4 conversion specialist that developed the vehicle in partnership with Isuzu UK.

To say the AT35 has ‘presence’ is an understatement.

Isuzu UK’s product manager, Brian Wheeler, affectionately calls the model we tested ‘BOB’, which stands for big orange beast, in recognition of the truck’s bulk, colour and attitude.

In fact, those who are won over by the AT35’s bold charms may have to travel further than down the road to their local retailer because Isuzu UK has appointed just 13 dedicated centres across the UK to support the sales, servicing and particular requirements of AT35 customers.

Designed to what Isuzu UK calls “off-road exploration” spec, the model takes its name from standard 35in tyres fitted to 17in matt black alloy wheels. The importer has overhauled the suspension and installed a Bilstein performance suspension system featuring front springs and dampers, rear dampers and additional front and rear body lift, which gives a ground clearance increase of 50mm compared with the standard D-Max, to 266mm at the front and 290mm at the rear, allowing an approach angle of 35°, a departure angle of 29°, and a break over angle of 34° to help the truck negotiate extreme terrains.

In truth though, in the UK’s lifestyle, double cab-dominated pick-up market, the AT35’s blinged-up, macho appearance is likely to attract at least as many admirers as its off-road prowess. Extra wide colour-coded wheel arch extensions certainly enhance the truck’s butch looks but can make negotiating road-narrowing urban traffic calming installations a challenging experience. Arctic Trucks extended profile side steps and strengthened Arctic Trucks mud flaps add to the AT35’s dramatic visual appearance and in case you’re in any doubt as to the truck’s identity, AT35 branding adorns the wheel arches and tailgate.

The interior, which is easy to enter thanks to the side step and sturdy grab handles, features leather seats and more Arctic Trucks branding stitched into the headrests. It also boasts a 9in multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, enabling you to access smartphone facilities, such as satnav, for example, plus an impressive eight-speaker sound system. A wireless mobile phone charge pad comes in handy but weirdly, DAB radio is not included in the package.

To Isuzu UK’s credit, the D-Max was the first UK-sold pick-up to gain the maximum five-star safety rating in the new Euro NCAP test. Every D-Max, not just the AT35, gets Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Speed Limiter, Lane Departure Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking as standard.

Not surprisingly, those giant tyres do result in a bumpy on-road ride, especially without a load in the back, and the AT35 can feel clumsy to manoeuvre in the city. Once on dual carriageways or motorways, however, it fares much better, although a nagging feeling persists that it could do with more power than the 164hp on offer.

Isuzu D-Max AT35 automatic