2024 Arctic Trucks AT35 off-road pick-up truck first drive

On sale Now | Price From £62,916 (with VAT), £52,495 (excl. VAT)

The sight of an Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 doing anything other than crossing a snow-covered landscape, climbing a mountain or wading through a flood is likely to bring to mind the phrase "fish out of water". Its pumped-up height and huge tyres really don’t fit in when you head to the supermarket. Literally... they don’t fit.

You see, while the Arctic Truck AT35 is based on a regular Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck, it's been widened so the 315/70 knobbly tyres still fit within the wheel arches. It's also had its suspension raised by 55mm over the standard set-up. As a result, it fills a standard parking space right to the edge of the lines and has a particularly imposing road presence.

So what is the point of the AT35? Well, it's been built to tackle anything you can throw at it in terms of road (or lack of road) surface. In fact, whatever you point it at, it should make it over without breaking a sweat.

That’s not all just marketing spiel: the very name Arctic Trucks comes from the specialist company that helped to develop this monstrous off-roader. Indeed, Arctic Trucks' previous work includes variants of many vehicle models that have been used for everything from driving on a volcano to crossing the North Pole.

For the AT35's 2024 facelift, Arctic Trucks has done a bit more work on the D-Max, adding some extra aggression to the exterior looks (if that’s even possible), fitting more powerful lights within the front grille and added a new light bar on the roof.

There are not all that many aggressive trucks like this on the market, but the Arctic Trucks AT35’s natural rival is the Ford Ranger Raptor. Alternatively, there are plenty of less hardcore pick-up trucks that are still capable off-road, including the standard Isuzu D-Max, the Ford Ranger (a former pick-up of the year) and the Toyota Hilux.

Is the AT35 the one to go for? Read on to find out...

What's the Arctic Trucks AT35 like to drive?

Choosing an engine for the Arctic Trucks AT35 is really easy because there’s only one – the 162bhp 1.9-litre turbocharged diesel you’ll also find in a regular Isuzu D-Max. That doesn’t sound like much power for such a huge vehicle, but it proves strong enough to give the AT35 a maximum payload weight of 1,045kg with an automatic gearbox or 1,075kg with a manual, plus a maximum towing weight of up to 3,500kg.

From a standstill or low speeds, the AT35 has plenty of torque and pulls well, but it quickly runs out of steam as speeds increase. When you put your foot down for a sudden burst of pace, all you really get is loads of engine noise. The 0-62mph time is a ponderous 13 seconds – a world away from the Ranger Raptor's 7.9 seconds.

Indeed, the diesel engine under the Arctic Trucks AT35’s bonnet is, for want of a better word, agricultural. There's a lot of diesel clatter, regardless of whether you’re at a standstill or on the move. There's also plenty of wind noise at higher speeds and, inevitably, a fair amount of road noise from those huge tyres. Again, the Raptor is better. 

The automatic gearbox in the version we've driven doesn't help matters, with its inconsistent decision-making. It takes several seconds before it will shift down a gear when you want power, but will frequently shift to a lower gear just to maintain speed when you have the cruise control on. Unless you frequently drive in stop-start traffic, it probably makes more sense to save money and go for the manual gearbox.

At a cruise, the "fish out of water" feeling never really fades away. The knobbly tyres are not designed for a trip to the shops or a motorway commute, so the ride isn’t great. In fact, there’s a constant fidget that moves you from side to side in your seat even on smooth roads, while sharper ruts and expansion joints can jolt you upwards from your seat.

The same could be said of the standard Isuzu D-Max, although to a lesser extent. The Ranger Raptor will be a more comfortable and supple option if you’re planning to mainly drive around on roads.

On the plus side, while the Arctic Trucks AT35 is tall, it's not as wobbly on a winding country road as you might expect. The special Bilstein suspension is quite firm, giving the vehicle surprisingly good body control and reducing lean as you drive through corners. 

That said, the light steering isn’t all that confidence-inspiring, only giving you a vague idea of what’s going on, so we wouldn’t really want to take it for a spirited drive. Again, the Ranger Raptor is definitely better, giving you more precise steering and proving to be less affected by mid-corner bumps.

It’s when off-roading that the Arctic Trucks AT35 is really in its element, using its 266mm of front clearance and 290mm at the rear to conquer rough terrain.

Meanwhile, the 35-degree approach angle, 29-degree departure angle and 34-degree breakover angle helps to ensure you can get up, in, over and through pretty much anything that stands in your way. There's no official figure for the AT35's maximum wading depth but the regular D-Max manages an impressive 800mm so, with an extra 55mm of ride height available, it's not going to struggle to cross a stream.

The list of off-road tools is extensive, including a switchable two and all-wheel-drive mode, low and high range gears, a locking rear differential and hill-descent control. In fact, without heading into the middle of nowhere or on to a glacier, we doubt you’ll get to really explore the limits of this pick-up truck.

What's the Arctic Trucks AT35 like inside? 

If you’re a fan of sitting high above the road, the commanding driving position of the Arctic Trucks AT35 will be right up your street. What’s more, the electrically-adjustable driver’s seat gives you plenty of movement and powered lumbar support to help you get comfortable. Unfortunately, the seats themselves are uncomfortable on a long journey because the base doesn’t have much padding.

The added advantage of the high driving position is that it gives you good visibility all round, while the sizeable door mirrors help you keep an eye on how close those rear wheel arches are to obstacles.

In fact, despite the initially intimidating size, it quickly becomes quite easy to keep track of all four corners and to place the AT35 where you want it. It is quite long though, so you’ll be thankful for the front and rear parking sensors, and rear-view camera when parking.

Even in total darkness, visibility remains good thanks to the AT35's standard LED headlights and foglights. The highlight is the redesigned (and optional) LED light bar that gives new meaning to turning night into day. It’s almost comically bright but it’s good to know you’ll be able to see even when you’re far from civilisation.

The infotainment system is controlled using a 9.0in touchscreen that sits at the top of the dashboard, but it's nothing special. Indeed, while it has plenty of audio input options (including a CD player – remember them?) and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, that’s about it. There's no vehicle settings page and if you want navigation you'll need to run a sat-nav app from your phone on the screen using the smartphone mirroring.

What’s more, the display is pretty low resolution, with graphics that look outdated. It’s a far cry from the Ranger Raptor's 12.4in infotainment touchscreen, which looks better and has more features.

As the AT35 is structurally the same as a standard D-Max, things haven't really changed when it comes to interior space. That means space in the front is great, spoiling the driver and front-seat passenger with lots of head and leg room, while rear space is nothing special. You can read all about that in more depth in our Isuzu D-Max review.

Of course, when it comes to ferrying items around, the AT35 really comes into its own. That’s thanks to the 1,495mm bed that can fit a standard pallet lengthways between the wheel-arch intrusions. There are four tie-down hoops in the bed, one for each corner, and a damped tailgate for ease of opening. The rear bumper has a step you can stand on to reach over the sides to get at anything in the bed of the truck.

Our verdict on the Arctic Trucks AT35

The Arctic Trucks AT35 is just as capable in the rough stuff as its styling suggests. In fact, unless you spend lots of your time challenging yourself and your car way off the beaten track, you’ll find it hard to really explore its limits. If that appeals, we expect it’ll be a great companion even on your most extreme adventures.

On top of that, the carrying and towing capabilities will be sufficient for pretty much any situation, making it a handy thing when you need to tow heavy machinery and carry tools around. That said, we suspect a Ford Ranger or regular Isuzu D-Max would be just as capable, with similar carrying and towing limits, while costing you quite a lot less. 

The problem for the Arctic Trucks AT35 is that the Ford Ranger Raptor is just as capable off-road and has a larger load bed. On top of that, the Raptor is genuinely good to drive on ordinary roads, making it easier to live with and a more engaging and comfortable cruiser when you're not climbing a mountain or fording a stream.

What Car? rating: 3/5

Arctic Trucks AT35 price and specs

Price £65,916 (including VAT) £54,995 (excluding VAT) Engine 4cyl, 1898cc, turbocharged, diesel Power 162bhp at 3600rpm Torque 266lb ft at 2000-2500rpm Gearbox 6-spd automatic 0-62mph 13sec Top speed 112mph Official economy 30.7mpg (WLTP) CO2, tax band 241g/km, 20%

Rivals:
Ford Ranger
Toyota Hilux

Read more: Isuzu D-Max review

Read more: Best pick-up trucks

Read more: Best 4x4s for off-roading

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