Next to the Toyota Hilux, the Nissan Navara was for a long time the favorite choice in the pickup segment, thanks to its go anywhere abilities and the good compromise between comfort and practicality.
However, in the latest years many things have changed and The Hilux and Navara are no longer the only players that worth to be taken into consideration.
The pickup trucks segment is now more populated than ever and the Navara needs to compete with strong rivals, like the new Isuzu D Max, Volkswagen Amarok or Mazda BT 50.
With these threats on its mind, Nissan decided to raise the bar of its iconic Navara and came up with a set of upgrades to spice things up a little.
The new generation Navara was developed together with the Pathfinder which makes it more than a bare bones work horse. The vehicle comes with a wide choice of cab configurations which includes a King Cab model with suicide doors and a standard Double Cab with conventional doors. Unfortunately, there is no single cab option available.
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The pickup market is in continuous expansion and many manufacturers come with better and better products to satisfy the need of its pretentious buyers. Isuzu makes no expectation and has recently launched its 2012 D Max (also known as the Rodeo) which replaced the old generation that was around since 2003.
The 2012 Isuzu D-Max is based on the new Chevrolet Colorado pickup and compared to the old generation it comes with better comfort, performances and transmissions. The new Isuzu D Max it’s available in five specification levels, including a new range-topper, and three body configurations, with the addition of a space-cab body with reverse-opening ‘wing’ rear doors.
Compared to the Chevrolet Colorado the D-Max comes with a different engine and a unique front styling. Unlike its sibling, the D Max it’s also available with both manual and automatic transmissions.
The new D max is priced from $27,200, and has a towing capacity of up to 3.0-tonnes with a maximum payload of 1128 kg.
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The Isuzu Rodeo - or the D-Max on the Australian market - was built on the same platform with the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Isuzu i-Series.
The Rodeo is the only pickup in Isuzu’s lineup as the manufacturer is especially known for its mid- and heavy-duty trucks.
The vehicle replaced the old TF pickup and comes with a pretty pleasant interior being less rugged than other pickups in its class. Thanks to its mixed personality, the Isuzu Rodeo can be used successfully for both harsh jobs and family necessities.
As most vehicles of its ilk, the Rodeo is available with 2WD or 4WD configurations. Yet despite Isuzu’s struggles to come up with a good product, the Rodeo is still not in the same league with its competitors from Nissan, Toyota or Mitsubishi which are currently the segment leaders.
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The Amarok is the newest pickup in Volkswagen’s lineup of commercial vehicles and was launched in 2011. The vehicle was designed for South America, Europe and New Zeeland markets and will compete with models like the Toyota Hilux.
The Volkswagen Amarok features a modern exterior design combined with a top notch build quality and the overall refinement typical for the German manufacturer.
The vehicle also comes with the latest Volkswagen technologies engineered for commercial purposes and it’s fitted with a six speed gearbox, low range transfer box, permanent four wheel drive, locking centre and rear differentials. Under the hood it gets two capable diesels units with a displacement of 2.0 liters.
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In the latest years the pickup trucks have started to migrate from the muddy working sites directly on the sunny beaches or in the middle of extravagant exotic resorts. However, leaving apart that special category of people who started to consider pickups and SUVs only another piece of their stylish wardrobe, the true purpose of these vehicle wasn’t forgotten and some of them continue to be capable work horses ready to go head to head with whatever you’ll thrown at them.
In the world of pickups, there was one model that was able to always stand out from the crowd. This model is called the Hilux and even since its inception has managed to occupy a top position being considered one of the most reliable vehicle in its class.
The seventh generation Hilux was sold between 2005 and 2009 and was available in single, extended and crew cab configurations. The vehicle had a starting price of $22700 and was offered with 120 hp and 171 hp diesel engines.
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The third generation Iveco Daily was launched in 2006, but unlike the previous model it didn’t stayed too long around as was shortly replaced by the actual model in 2009.
Just like the previous model, the third generation Daily was also constructed using a ladder frame chassis configuration with maximum gross vehicle weights (GVW) of up to 6.5 tonnes.
After the 2006 facelift, the vehicle benefitted by both technological and style upgrades. The result was a more attractive and efficient van that also offered a fairly comfortable cabin.
The third generation Daily was offered in a wide range of version being available as a panel van, crew cab, chassis cab, tipper and other various body conversions.
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The Iveco Daily is without a doubt the toughest van from the road. The company is specialized in building big trucks and the Daily is the only van in its lineup. Thanks to its rugged character and the heavy duty origins, we can say that The Daily it’s like a big truck scaled down for light commercial purposes. The vehicle is also much stronger than its rivals and features a ladder frame chassis which is a configuration that’s usually used by trucks.
The vehicle has a long history behind it with the first generation being sold between 1978 and 1993. The subject of this review is represented by the second generation that was available between 1993 – 2006.
The second generation Iveco Daily was offered with various gross vehicle weights that ranged from 2.8 tonnes to 6.5 tonnes and had a starting price of $ 27.300.
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There aren’t many vans out there that have the same reputation as the Volkswagen Transporter. This model was always ahead of the pack when it comes to build quality and longevity and is around since 1950s.
The T4 was the fourth generation of the Transporter and was sold between 1996 – 2003. The T4 had the strong genes of the previous Transporters in its bones, which helped it earn itself a tremendous reputation fairly fast.
At that time the turbo diesel technology was only at its beginning, so in 1996 the vehicle was launched only with a standard 1.9 diesel unit, being followed by a 2.5 liter turbo engine in 1999. Continuing the heritage of its versatile predecessors the Transporter T4 was offered in various shapes namely as panel van, chassis cab, crew cab and even a four wheel drive model.
Despite its old age, the Volkswagen Transporter T4 can be still seen on today’s roads and kept its value well on the second hand market.
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Since it was launched for the first time in 1950 the Volkswagen Transporter range was considered a benchmark in its segment. The newest generation was launched in 2010 and continues to be among the best vans available on today’s market.
The previous model was commercialized between 2003 and 2009 and despite its old age it managed to hold its value well on the used market, being among the most wanted vehicle in this class.
Since its inception, the Transporter range was continuously improved and the 2003 generation was bigger, more powerful and more comfortable than its predecessor. The Volkswagen Transporter goes head to head with models like the Ford Transit or Opel Vivaro and it’s offered with a choice of two diesels which develop between 85 hp and 174 hp.
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For a pretty long period of time, the old Sprinter was considered the best van on the market, but in its latest years of existence the German LCV was starting to show its age and some rivals caught up and managed to overtake it.
The previous sprinter was sold between 1995 – 1996 and has managed to conquer the world of big panel vans pretty fast, thanks to its superior technologies and the famous German reliability.
Even today, the used Sprinters hold their value well and you can pay a pretty big price for vehicle in decent condition.
Like the new model, the old Mercedes Sprinter was also offered in various shapes with gross vehicle weights ranging from 2.8 tonnes to 4.6 tonnes with three lengths and roof heights. Mercedes had always lead the way when it comes to modern technologies and the old Sprinter made no exception as it was the first van to come with standard ABS brakes (from 120 versions above). Moreover, since 2003 the ABS was offered as standard equipment on the entire Sprinter range and ESP was also added.
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