A hardworking truck can make the biggest of jobs easier, but which ones should you check out today?
A pick-up can be the ideal tool for all kinds of jobs. Whether you need to transport heavy goods on a frequent basis or like to take mountain bikes on big adventures, a pick-up truck is something that can make the toughest of jobs a little easier.
Though the pick-up market might have been dwindling over the last few years, there’s still some good variety out there to consider. Let’s see what’s on offer today.
Photos: PA Media
Ford Ranger
Ford’s Ranger has routinely proven to be one of the most popular pick-up trucks. It’s not hard to see why, either, as with a robust chassis setup and a rugged yet comfortable interior, you can push it to the limit-off road and still have a reasonably refined experience when you return to the paved sections.
There are a good number of specifications to choose from, too, including the range-topping Raptor which throws in a punchy V6 petrol engine and a range of performance upgrades which make it near-peerless on the rough stuff.
Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster
The Grenadier Quartermaster is one of the newest additions to the pick-up market and it does so with a healthy dose of style. Like the standard Grenadier, the Quartermaster is available with BMW-sourced engines which are smooth and responsive. The pleasant gearbox comes courtesy of the German manufacturer, too.
It’s got enough load space to carry a full-sized Euro pallet, too, and just like the standard car should prove very capable off-road.
Volkswagen Amarok
The first-generation Volkswagen Amarok showed that pick-up trucks could drive just as pleasantly as a large SUV and it still continues to deliver a similar experience into its second-generation. Today, the Amarok sits on the same platform as the Ford Ranger but brings a slightly more upmarket experience than its American cousin.
There’s loads of good equipment inside and the whole interior is built solidly as well. Fortunately, it’s backed up by decent off-road manners as well.
Maxus T90EV
It’s not something you expect to find in this list – an electric vehicle. However, Maxus has bucked the trend by delivering its completely battery-powered T90EV, which is here to show that EVs can be just as practical as their combustion-engined counterparts.
It can match many rivals in terms of its load-carrying ability and should be able to return over 200 miles from a single charge. Top-up using cheap home energy rates and it’ll prove a lot cheaper to run than others on this list, too.
KGM Musso
KGM – which was formerly known as Ssangyong – has one of the more hard-wearing pick-ups on the market today with its Musso. It’s available in a variety of specifications, too, with all getting a trustworthy 2.2-litre diesel engine under the bonnet.
Available with both manual and automatic gearboxes, the Musso is a truck which punches well above its weight in terms of capability.
Isuzu D-Max
The D-Max remains one of the ‘core’ pick-ups and it’s one which has been around for a little while now. Solidly made and with a 1.9-litre diesel engine under the bonnet, the D-Max is very much a ‘tool’ that will get the job done.
You can also get it in head-turning Arctic Trucks specification, too, which adds in huge wheels and massively bolstered arches for even more performance off-road.
