The What Van? Road Test: Isuzu Grafter

Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Cabin

Interior and equipment

While forward-control vehicles are sometimes criticised for poor cab access, in Grafter’s case it’s really not that difficult. All you need to do to get behind the wheel is put your foot on the step just ahead of the wheel-arch, grab the handle on the A-pillar, and swing yourself aboard.

Before you do that, however, you may want to think about how heavy you are; and not because the adjustable seat won’t be able to cope with all the pounds you may have piled on during the Covid-19 pandemic. It features mechanical suspension which requires you to use a knob to dial in your weight for maximum comfort. It’s better to be honest when you do.

The interior of the three-seater cab is best described as utilitarian, with rather a lot of hard plastic. That at least has the advantage of making it easy to clean out; worth knowing given that a vehicle like this is likely to spend a lot of time going in and out of muddy building sites.

The storage facilities for all the bits and bobs drivers carry around with them are at a premium. They include shelves above the windscreen, slim pockets in each of the doors, and two cubby holes in the dashboard.

The dashboard also boasts a couple of pop-out cup-holders. Ashtrays are mounted on each of the doors – be healthy, and use them as receptacles for mints rather than cigarette ends – and the fascia comes with a little hook to hold a bag containing your Friday-night takeaway.

Going back to the seats for a moment, just bear in mind that the middle seat only has a lap-strap, with no headrest, and is best used for short journeys. The other seats feature headrests plus conventional lap-and-diagonal belts; the belts are red, so everybody can see they are being worn when the truck leaves the yard.

With three people aboard things get a mite too cosy, and the middle passenger will find his right leg is pushed bang up against the gear shift console. Legroom otherwise is not too bad though, although the seat cushions could stand to be a bit longer for better thigh support.

Included in the deal are driver and passenger airbags along with a Kenwood DPX-7200 DAB radio plus a USB socket. The set-up includes Bluetooth compatibility.

Grafter does not feature the umpteen onboard technological gizmos found on so many modern 3.5-tonners.

It does however come with reversing beepers, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Electronic Vehicle Stability Control, and Anti Slip Regulation. ASR is designed to prevent slippage of the driven wheels under acceleration.

Front fog lights and big exterior mirrors are installed. While that is good news so far as vision rearwards is concerned, the mirrors have to be adjusted manually, and do not feature a separate, wide-angle section.

Semi-elliptical steel suspension is fitted at the rear while a double wishbone and transverse parallel leaf set-up helps support the front of the vehicle. Hydraulic shock absorbers are installed all round.

Our demonstrator’s 16ins steel wheels were shod with Michelin Agilis 205/75 R16 tyres. Stopping power is delivered by 265mm ventilated disc brakes at the front, and 290mm
drums at the back. The rack-and-pinion steering comes with hydraulic power assistance.

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