Isuzu Rodeo Road Test

Isuzu Rodeo

All Rodeos now have a 2.5-litre diesel engine under the bonnet. The fact that there are no petrol options isn’t surprising as Isuzu is said to be the biggest diesel engine producer in the world.

The previous Rodeo range also featured a 3.0-litre unit but the new, smaller unit is so efficient as to make the 3.0 unit redundant. The power out put of 136PS at 3,600rpm is a 36PS improvement on its predecessor and 5.5PS better than the old 3.0-litre engine. The torque of 217lb ft (294Nm) between 1,800- and 3,600rpm is also an improvement of 50lb ft and 10lb ft over the previous 2.5 and 3.0 engines, respectively.

It takes 12.8 seconds to reach 62mph from standstill and the top speed is 108mph. According to Isuzu, the fuel consumption figures are class-leading; 28.8mpg, 39.8mpg and 34.9mpg for the urban, extra-urban and combined while the CO2 emission measurement of 213g/km is also said to be class-leading.

The Prodrive Performance Pack reduces the sprint time to 11.7 seconds, which is neither here nor there and surprising considering that the power is increased to 167PS and the torque is 293lb ft (397Nm) at 2,200rpm. The extra oomph comes from tweaking the ECU rather than extra turbo boost.

As the sprint time of the standard Rodeo shows, the car can be a bit sluggish until it gets going. However, the drive is so comfortable and easy, with the benefit of a high driving position, good all-round visibility and the non-optional, 5-speed, manual gearbox is nicely weighted.

This is not a car to throw around country lanes - it just doesn’t feel happy - but it does enjoy off-road adventures. All Rodeos have a 4x4 transmission selectable via a dial on the fascia. This can be done ‘on-the-hoof’ at speeds of up to 60mph. For selecting low ratios, the Rodeo has to be stationary. The car is very capable away from the tarmac with good approach, departure and ramp angles and a side-tilt capability of up to 49-degrees. The rear axle has a snorkel for wading in up to 600mm of water. To allow for this the Rodeo has extra rust-proofing and heavy-duty wax undercoating.

ABS with EBD is standard. Electronic Brakeforce Distribution is important because of the weight differences between empty and fully loaded, while inside, there are twin front airbags.

The Rodeo is clearly both a workhorse and a lifestyle vehicle. It drives like a car in a relaxing, comfortable way and is set to follow in the previous models tyre-tracks.