THE ISUZU D-MAX V-CROSS ‘HUNTSMAN EDITION’ – THE PERFECT SHOOT DAY VEHICLE?

Featurette by Martin Clay – Over & Under Fieldsports

The shooting season to me has always been one of those times of year to look towards. No sooner does one end and all of us field sports enthusiasts are already looking ahead to the next. I’ve been directly involved in field sports for the majority of my 38 years on God’s green Earth. Be it helping to fill feed hoppers, lamping for foxes or in the beating line for much of my primitive years. As adolescence disappeared and merged into adulthood I found myself craving the outdoors more and more, often daydreaming of days in the field with good friends. I even spent the early part of my career as a gamekeeper.

But that’s enough about my field sports credentials, my introduction was to let you know I’ve been around enough shoots and partaken in country pursuits long enough to offer an opinion on just which vehicle is suitable for the challenges faced day to day whilst out in the field. I’d be lying if I said I was a wealthy man and had vast experience with new and luxurious vehicles. My history of shooting vehicles ranges from old army land rovers, a single cab Toyota Hilux, an old Peugeot 504 pickup, an early model Ford Ranger, various Defender 90s including a V8 Petrol that was as expensive to fill up with fuel every week as it was to repair almost as regularly.

In my opinion for what it is worth, a good shoot day vehicle needs to conform to three key areas. Number 1 is the Level of warmth/dryness it offers, number 2 is the amount of space it has and number 3 is its off-road performance.

Ultimately if it’s pouring down with rain or the mercury is below freezing, will it keep me warm and dry?

Is there enough space to fill it with dogs, guns, coats, spare coats, spare, spare coats, elevenses etc.

And will it go where I want it to, when I want it to, or am I likely to get stuck in the boggy bit of the field where the water lays that I’ve told to avoid?

So how does the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross ‘Huntsman Edition’ and its features match up in these areas?

Warmth / Dryness

As a vehicle to get back into after being out in the elements on a wet cold winter’s day, I’m going to score the V-Cross pretty high for Warmth. The heated leather seats are just the job, and the blower kicks out plenty of hot air. The Aeroklas Commercial Canopy has plenty of space to chuck in the wet gear and the luxury of the pickup back means that it’s separate from the cab and you can stay nice and dry inside away from any damp waterproofs, avoiding that horrible wet smell that you get when a vehicle starts to get condensation on the windows.

The canopy is pretty basic inside as its just a shell which from a space perspective is a good thing, however when considering it as the right canopy for a ‘Huntsman’ my thoughts are that perhaps it’s a little lacking. Most people with this type of vehicle are going to have a dog if not multiple dogs. I am all for making sure my dogs are secured, especially in the wake of recent canine thefts from the back of vehicles. The rear tinted door which opens via an electronic button seems a little bit neglected when it comes to security, the door feels that with a couple of good, forceful tugs it would give way and give the intruder access to what’s inside. My next gripe with the Commercial canopy is it’s ventilation or lack there of, yes the bulkhead window slides open, but that gives you an all-or-nothing approach to making sure your dog doesn’t get too hot or too cold on a warm or icy day.

Dogs die in hot cars, and a little bit of a gap between the cab and the canopy isn’t going to let in a lot of fresh cool air on a breathless day among the heather-clad moorland in search of grouse. Plus, it means that if you decide you want to open it wider or close it completely for that matter you’ve got to climb up in the back and shut it manually.

Space

I’ve already touched upon the no-nonsense canopy and the fact there is plenty of room. This changes though when you add in the Bed Drawer System, a large dog cage will just about fit with a little bit of jiggery pokery but a bespoke dog transit system will be must for keeping your canine friends safe in the back.

The drawers on the other hand are great, made from a decent quality material and genuinely feel durable and strong. With two drawers that are the full length of the rear bed and two storage compartments which reach the rear wheel arches, there is a considerable amount of lockable space to utilise. I filled one side with essentials for a day out in the field – spare clothes, spare coat, dog leads, dog first aid, hat, ear defenders etc and it felt good to be able to lock these away without them rolling around getting broken. The other side is easily big enough to hold my gun in its slip and to be honest, could probably store a couple more.

The issue I did have with the drawers though was the depth, certain shooting paraphernalia just didn’t fit in them, for one, my cartridge bag, which I would have loved locked away like the gun just didn’t fit. Individual boxes of cartridges would but then there is the hassle of packing and unpacking individual boxes throughout the day. If the drawers were at least another inch deeper, this would have made all the difference.

Off-Road Performance

As a 4×4 the Isuzu should deliver off-road and having tested it in varying conditions on different days in a mix of terrain in Hampshire, Somerset, Devon, Berkshire and Dorset it performed as I would expect from a vehicle of its reputation. Good off-road and comfortable to drive on the road.

The General Grabber AT3 tyres are a nice touch, they add to the rugged country aesthetic of the ‘Huntsman’ and gave me a pretty decent grip on some greasy grass fields, they also handled nicely on a very wet, steep, muddy Dorset track.

Here are my thoughts on the individual accessories that make up the ‘Huntsman Edition’

Aeroklas E-Tronic Commercial Canopy

+ Spacious without the bed draw system, quite no-nonsense

– Feels like it lacks security, serious lack of light and ventilation

Front Black Grille

+ Looks slightly more modern with the black coloured pickup

– Adds nothing to the performance or functionality of the vehicle

Under Rail Bed Liner Kit

+ Adds extra stability to the rear load bed

– Cannot see it with the Bed Drawer System fitted

Bed Drawer System

+ Great for organising and securely storing your gear, guns and ammo

– Would benefit from being slightly deeper to allow room for certain things

Tailgate Assist & Tailgate Locking Kit

+ Making it lighter to lift and central locking kit all good things

18” Black Alloy Wheels & 18” General Grabber AT3 Tyres

+ The tyres look the business and are great off-road

– Not sure other than from a cosmetic point of view that the alloys offer anything

Black Side Steps

+ Look good and add to the aesthetic

– I am over 6ft I have never needed to stand on them or found the step wide enough for my size 12 boots

 Towbar with 13 Pin Electrics

+ Nice to be fitted pre-delivery for towing

Rubber Floor Trays

+ Protects the carpet from muddy boots, easy to wash and clean

– A little bulky in the footwell

As I alluded to in my videos, is the ‘Huntsman’ for me? No, probably not, a lot of the features I found unnecessary in my honest opinion, the ones I did find useful, 100% I would buy, but the configuration of them would have to be a lot more tailored to my needs. To meet my expectations of the perfect vehicle for a shoot day.

Does the ‘Huntsman’ have a place in the Shooting field? Of course it does, I am sure lots of people would find this off-the-shelf solution exactly what they need. The bed drawers, the tailgate assist, and the rubber floor trays are all great practical features,

There is no denying it looks great with all the kit on in black, the addition of the cosmetic improvements like the Black Grille, Black Side steps and black alloys all look amazing but personally having run it for a week, and running predominantly offroad I think it is going to be a never-ending nightmare to keep clean. Do these add anything to the overall performance and practicality? I don’t think they do.

My opinions might seem a bit harsh, but with the accessories coming in at an extra £8,089.00 there is no denying that the ‘Huntsman’ Edition is serious money, for that kind of cash I would want it to do a serious job, and by that I mean it has to have exactly what I want on it for the purposes I need it for.

I’ll refer back to my three areas and although the Isuzu ‘Huntsman’ ticks the boxes on both Warmth/Dryness and Off-road performance I think the amount of space is where it lacks the capabilities it needs.

Having shared my thoughts with the team at HFG Offroad, both Gareth and Tom in Sales were quick to not let my concerns put me off. Every accessory element of the ‘Huntsman’ build is available separately and the manufacturers and suppliers offer other solutions that can be tailored to my requirements to complete the build of such a practical vehicle. Knowing that the team at Hunt Forest Group / HFG Off-Road are happy to work with my vision for the most practical bespoke shoot vehicle that will meet my expectations is quite refreshing.

We already discussed the need for deeper bed drawers, and removing one half of the bed drawer system to fit a partition for a stronger, larger more secure area for my dogs. A better style of canopy and the removal of unnecessary additional luxuries such as grilles, alloys and side steps.

So in conclusion, the ‘Huntsman’ may be exactly what you need, it does look great straight off the shelf and may fulfil your shoot day requirements. However, if it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to go and have a conversation with the guys at HFG Off-Road, there is an option for everyone and the chances are it won’t cost you anywhere near that kind of money.

To find out more about the 4X4 accessories on offer from Hunt Forest Group / HFG Off Road or for more information about the Isuzu D-Max visit our dedicated webpage here.