The What Van? Road Test: Isuzu Grafter

Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Rear 3:4

Operating

With a fully-tiltable cab, engine access is exemplary, but tilting the cab is not always necessary for some of the more basic tasks.

If you need to top up the windscreen washer bottle then all you have to do is remove a panel on the passenger side of the dashboard to gain access. You take off a panel on the driver’s side to replenish the brake fluid.

Isuzu provides a three-year unlimited-mileage warranty while service intervals are set at 12 months/12,500 miles.

Isuzu Truck UK quotes a WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) average fuel consumption figure of 11.9l per 100km for this model, which translates to just shy of 24mpg; painful, but a cage tipper with an automatic gearbox is never going to be the most frugal vehicle in the world. We would hope to be able to achieve closer to 26mpg to 27mpg if the vehicle is driven carefully.

It’s good to see that a proper spare wheel is provided, incidentally. The jack and tools are stowed behind the passenger seats.

Isuzu Truck UK’s network provides the intense level of aftersales support heavy commercial vehicle operators insist on – the importer’s range goes up to 13.5t – which is good news for Grafter owners. Isuzu pick-ups are imported and distributed separately from the manufacturer’s trucks in the UK, and marketed through a different dealer network.

Isuzu Grafter N35.125(SA) Automatic cage tipper

Price (ex VAT) £28,495

Price range (ex VAT) £28,325-£28,495

Gross payload 927kg

Load length 3,048mm

Load width 1,702mm

Load bay height 1,372mm

Loading height 851mm

Gross vehicle weight 851mm

Braked trailer towing weight 2,500kg

Engine size/power 1,898cc, 120hp @ 3,200rpm

Torque 320Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Gearbox 6spd automatic

Fuel economy (combined WLTP) 23.74.mpg

Fuel tank 68l

CO2 310g/km

Warranty 3yrs/unlimited mls

Service intervals 1yr/12,500 mls

Rivals

Fiat Professional Ducato

Price (ex VAT) £28,605-£76,520

Load volume 8.0-17m³

Gross payload 690-1,885kg

Engines 120hp, 140hp, 160hp, 180hp 2.2 diesel, 90kW electric motor

Verdict: Like the other two competitors listed, Ducato is available as a chassis cab but - unlike Grafter - can also be ordered as a van. Revised not long ago, What Van?’s Van of the Year is crammed with clever on-board technology. It can be ordered with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and don’t forget to check out the electric model; with a claimed range of up to 230mls between recharges.

Ford Transit

Price (ex VAT) £30,735-£52,285

Load volume 9.5-15.1m³

Gross payload 895-2,209kg

Engines 105hp, 130hp, 170hp, 185hp 2.0 diesel, 135kW, 198kW electric motor

Verdict: Few developments in the van industry can truly be described as game-changing, no matter what the spin-doctors employed by all manufacturers may say. But Ford’s battery-electric E-Transit undoubtedly is. It comes with an astonishingly-low starting price and a big dollop of power. Not that the rest of the Transit line-up should be ignored, including the availability of a 10-speed automatic gearbox on rear-wheel-drive diesel models.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Price (ex VAT) £29,435-£58,575

Load volume 7.8-17m³

Gross payload 852-2,813kg

Engines 150hp, 170hp, 190hp, 2.0 diesel, 85kW electric motor

Verdict: If connectivity is a priority and you want plenty of on-board safety devices, then make a bee-line for Sprinter. Durable and solidly-built, with strong residuals, it offers customers the option of a nine-speed automatic transmission. The electric version should not be ignored, but we suspect that it will be eclipsed – like all other battery-electric vans in this weight category – by what is likely to become the all-conquering Ford E-Transit van.

The Final Verdict

Design 8/10 – Who says forward-control is dead? Good vision ahead and to either side is a plus.

Cabin 6/10 – Quite basic but easy to clean out if you end up with muddy boots and overalls.

Ride 6/10 – Not one of its strong suits, and can struggle on rough highway surfaces.

Refinement 7/10 – Quieter than we expected, and a decent level of build quality meant zero squeaking.

Load area 8/10 – Cage tipper body from TGS is just what you need if you are hauling bulky rubbish.

Handling/performance 7/10 – Extraordinarily manoeuvrable at low speeds, but not a vehicle for bends.

Engine/transmission 8/10 – A well-matched duo, with the automatic gearbox delivering power smoothly.

Standard equipment 7/10 – Not packed with gizmos that beep and flash, but most of the basics are there.

Operating costs 6/10 – Engine access and a good warranty have to be balanced against fuel consumption.

What Van? subjective rating 7/10 – Good if you’re searching for a robust, no-frills, 3.5-tonner for local work.

Overall Rating = 70/100

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