Hitting the road (and dunes) in Isuzu's Arctic AT35
The world trend is moving more and more towards SUVs but here, in South Africa, bakkies still rule the roost.
Witness the monthly vehicle sales records, Ford’s recent upgrade to their Ranger range and launch of the Raptor, and this week Toyota are launching their Legend 50 range celebrating 50 years of Hilux sales.
In the background, meanwhile, Isuzu have been in the process of quietly getting on, doing their own thing, and after much research and development with the guys at Arctic Trucks, last week launched the Isuzu Arctic AT35, based on the standard 3.0 litre D-MAX double cab. AT35 incidentally stands for All Terrain 35-inch tyres.
Arctic Trucks are the guys who build expedition-ready vehicles with big tyres, flared wheel arches and offroad suspensions. Because this was a collaboration with the factory in Struandale, Port Elizabeth, the conversion is factory fitted and not an after market bolt-on option, so prospective owners have full peace of mind when it comes to warranties and quality control.
At this stage, Isuzu envisage 50 units to be built annually - which doesn’t sound like a lot but does make it fairly exclusive and the dealer network already have a waiting list of people who either want to use it for its intended purpose or just want to look like a “Camel-man” poser. Either way it’s an imposing piece of metal to look at.
Coming in at R785 000, it sneaks in just under the Raptor’s price of R786 400 and, while the market is abuzz with Ford’s offering, there’s a very loyal Isuzu following in South Africa and the AT35 will be a popular addition to the range.
https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/late...road-and-dunes-in-isuzus-arctic-at35-28715057