The pick-up market has been on a rollercoaster ride with big names dropping out, some bouncing back, newcomers joining the fray, and all the while the Isuzu D-Max has taken its chance and piled on the sales. Last year was its best ever, shifting 6,600.

And it has worked hard for its success offering a variety of models to attract the adventure seekers but never losing sight of its core value as a fear nothing off roader.

The Japanese company has also played a clever tactical game, constantly updating and this year has seen a raft of improvements with changes to the body, the interior and its off-road capabilities.

Life has got tougher, however, with the Government bringing double cab pick-ups into line with cars taking away the generous tax break for company car drivers.

But what about this for a result. D-Max went head to head with the mighty Toyota Hi-lux reviewed last week and in the Rogers household came out a clear winner. I should say the toughest challenge faced by both pick-ups was hauling my caravan to and from a steep field, hardly taxing, so this comparison is based purely on road driving.

My wife set the tone declaring ‘nice light steering, I like it already’ and she had only driven off the drive. Her verdict that the ride was not as jittery as the Hilux was a surprise because the last time I drove a D-Max it didn’t take much to send you bobbling about in the seat.

But she was right, D-Max has been transformed. It is nowhere near as smooth as an SUV but the suspension improvements have settled the ride and any jolts caused by uneven surfaces have been well and truly tamed.

Isuzu’s recipe for success is to pack the D-Max with kit and answer the critics with a quality upgrade in the cabin. The old model looked a bit plasticy and dated but that has been sorted with a modern digital driver display with information selected from steering wheel buttons, and a larger, upgraded touchscreen. There is no onboard navigation but smart phones can be paired through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay with wireless charging on top models.

All models are well supplied but lifestylers who like their creature comforts will make for V-Cross. That packs a host of goodies like auto dipping LED headlights, all round electric windows, power adjustments for the driver’s seat, leather upholstery, reversing camera and keyless entry with walkaway locking the standout features.

There is also a new Steel edition which adds a lot of badge branding in the cabin and around the body with coloured wheel arch fender flare kit, side graphics, LED scruff plates and illuminated puddle lamps. It adds a hefty four grand to the bottom line, critically pushing it through the £40,000 barrier that brings additional costs.

For all this the feature that had us and two passengers shouting wow were the full beam headlights. LED headlights are bright, some say too bright, but the D-Max was off the scale throwing a massive square of white light, the likes of which we had never seen before. Later we realised the extra beam came from an LED strip across the roof!

D-Max has led the way in pick-up safety and was the first to get a five-star NCAP crash test rating in 2022 but it has not rested on its laurels adding more safety. It uses radar to stop the car backing out of a parking space into the path of an approaching vehicle or pedestrian, or changing lanes if there is a vehicle coming up in the blind spot. Double cab models have eight airbags. That is just a sample of what is available.

For those who need to mix it with the rough stuff D-Max has just about everything you need with three drive modes, 2 high for people like me, four-wheel drive high, and four wheel drive low for when the going gets really tough, along with hill descent.

The area where D-Max could not match the Toyota is engine power. There is only one option, a 1.9 litre diesel. It does the job but has that guttural agricultural din and is some way off the Toyota’s refinement and huge torque advantage. Nevertheless it has the same towing and carrying capacity and was more economical recording an impressive 39mpg on a 150 drive through rural Wales and 24.4mpg with caravan in tow.

Isuzu has pitched its model range brilliantly with something for everyone. If you want it as a family vehicle you will feel at home quickly.

Fast facts

V-Cross Steel edition

£42,705 (starts £27,755 single cab)

1.9 litre TD; 162bhp. 6sp automatic

0-62mph 13secs; 112mph

30.7mpg combined

241g/km

Payload 1070kg

Towing: 3,500kg

Warranty: 5 years/125,000 miles