Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 75

MOTORING

Smooth ride Rodeo
I have always been a fan of 4x4
vehicles and having driven the new
Isuzu Rodeo pick-up, my admiration
for them has only increased.
Isuzu only make commercial
vehicles and the company prides
itself on blending rugged ability with
performance and looks, and the new
Rodeo Denver certainly ticks all those
boxes.
I test drove the Denver 3.0-litre
automatic, courtesy of R. Hunt Ltd
Agricultural Engineers - also the
main John Deere dealers - at Rookley
Industrial Estate. The Rodeo is
everything a pick-up should be. It is
tough on the outside and surprisingly
comfortable on the inside. The layout
inside is simple and works well.
There is also a CD player, front
fog lights, Bluetooth hands-free kit,
air conditioning and plenty of other
equipment as standard. There are
several options and features that can

TEST DRIVEN ON
THE ISLAND
By Peter White

be added including upgrading the
alloy wheels, to personalise it to your
particular taste or requirements.
The double-cab allows three people
to sit in the back, and with a payload
of more than 1,000kg at the back
there is enough space for storage and
carrying equipment – anything from
hay bales to golf clubs!.
Indeed, I can see why the Rodeo is
a popular choice with farmers and
agricultural workers, as it seems that
no terrain on the Island would stop it
from carrying out its daily job, with
all the options that are available. There
are also rubber floor trays in the front
and rear and waterproof covers on
the seats, which are well padded and
provide extra comfort.
I took it off road onto some rougher
terrain and it just breezed over it as if
it was still on a tarmac road. You have
selectable electronic 4WD which can
be shifted up to 60mph. There is the

2WD for the road, 4WD High for
light off-roading, then the full 4WD
Low for when things start to get more
tricky. I am told that the Rodeo excels
itself when it comes to steep climbing
– is there anything that this machine
cannot do?
Overall, I was very impressed with
the way that Isuzu have blended
practicality and comfort perfectly with
the new Rodeo Denver.

R. Hunt Ltd Agricultural Engineers
Rookley Industrial Estate TEL: [phone]
www.visitislandlife.com

75