Being loaded with a pair of wine barrels as its first task proved easy, though a bigger job lies waiting.
Our long-term single cab Isuzu D-Max has, by comparison, had a quiet second of its three month stay as only 337 km rolled underneath its wheels since the last report update.
Amidst a bevy of test cars, the D-Max patiently waited its turn day in, day out, while ironically also escaping its intended usage of being a hard working bakkie.
Job one
That is until editor Jaco van der Merwe needed something to collect a number of empty wine barrels that wouldn’t require removing a tonneau cover as is the case with our long-term bakkie, the double cab Ford Ranger XLT.
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While the D-Max has a 2 330 mm long loadbin and the ability to carry 1 205 kg, the pair of barrels hardly dented its performance or fuel consumption from The Citizen’s offices in Craighall Park, Randburg, to the collection point in Kyalami.
Having stayed steady at 10.2 L/100 km for much of its tenure, the jaunt to and from Kyalami saw consumption drop to 10-litres per 100 km.
However, given that past experience with the venerable 4JJ3-TCX 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine in four-wheel drive double cab D-Max often saw fuel usage drop to the high 8s and low 9s, the much lighter two-wheel drive, single cab could soon improve on this while also, finally, showing its proper workhorse credentials.
Pending job two
Besides a pending second barrel collection, it will depart for the Free State at the end of the month to help its minder’s cousin move house.
A round trip of 75 km, plus the additional 500 km from and then back to Johannesburg, the task awaiting KKF 991 EC will also put its long distance comfort to the test.
While the double cab D-Max has long been known for its car-like ride quality, until the arrival of the current Ford Ranger, the single cab is more firmly sprung and, as such, bouncier with no load in the back.
Likely to test this further are the notoriously poorly maintained roads of the inner Free States laced with potholes and destroyed on a daily basis by the never ending scourge of trucks.
In terms of spec, and being the top-spec LS, the D-Max is anything but bare despite being a single cab.
As such, creature comforts include electric windows and mirrors, half-a-dozen cupholders, air conditioning, a four-speaker sound system, a multi-function steering wheel, cruise control and a seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Stay tuned…
With the trip also being the swansong for the D-Max before it returns to Isuzu, the “working” trip promises to be an interesting one.
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