Christmas is upon us and, although the media is full of daily advertisements reminding me that it’s the season of goodwill, I still haven’t bought all of the presents! It has got me thinking about Father Christmas and what might be suitable transport if Dasher, Prancer, Comet, Blitzen and all the other reindeer suddenly went on strike! Santa would have plenty of choice in the Isuzu D-Max range.

The Isuzu advertisements have the strapline “It Just Works”, which sum up the D-Max. I tested the Utility 4x4 Double Cab – perfect if you wish to use the D-Max as a family vehicle. The other cab configurations are Single Cab 4x2 and 4x4 (starting from £16,499) or Extended Cab. The D-Max model range begins with the Utility base model, but includes the Eiger, Yukon, Utah, Blade and a halo model in the AT35 (more about that later).

Practical for business and pleasure
On the D-Max Utility you get an ample standard package with projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, full size spare wheel and Bluetooth connectivity. The interior is comfortable with plenty of storage, charging points, handles to grip onto and even a concealed cup holder that pops out on the passenger side. It’s practical and the surfaces are easy to clean.

The load bed is a good size (L4.87ft, W5.02ft, D1.52ft) and perfect if you have horses, go mountain biking or motorbike scrambling, or do anything where you need space to transport. It’s practical for business and pleasure. The bed is lined with tough plastic and easy to wash out with a hose.

The Euro 6 emissions turbo-diesel engine puts out 162bhp, 360Nm torque, has 3.5 tonnes towing strength (over 1.1 tonne payload) and combined fuel consumption of 40.4mpg. The test model was running Dunlop AT20 GrandTrek 245/70 R16 tyres. The drive is smooth with a wide turning circle, and the gear change on the manual box feels industrial. If you are used to Land Rover Defenders or other similar off roaders, this will suit you really well.

The Double Cab version I tested was £21,242.75 due to some options – Tow Bar Attachment £187.50, Towing Electrics £226.25 and Obsidian Grey Mica Paint at £430. Other colours are Splash White, Titanium Silver Metallic and Tundra Green Mica.

A real workhorse
Although the Isuzu D-Max Utility comes with a 125,000 mile/5- year warranty, you can be confident that the build quality is excellent, and it has been designed as a real workhorse.

However, if Santa was after something really serious for his more extreme deliveries, he could opt for the Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35. Arctic Trucks are a specialist modification company based at Reykjavik in Iceland. They have produced vehicles which have taken BBC Top Gear presenters to the magnetic North Pole and are used as transport for scientists working in the Antarctic. The AT35 is a beast with Fox performance series suspension and huge 315/70 R17 Nokian Rotiiva tyres which cope with any terrain. The Arctic Truck AT35 starts from £37,995.