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The interior has been mildly restyled too, and with good effect, though Isuzu's claim that the fascia "would not look out of place in an upmarket executive saloon" is pushing things a bit. The dials are more high-tech than before, the retrimmed seats are impressively comfortable and the handbrake is in the right place, next to the gearlever, rather than protruding out of the dash as it unaccountably still does in some rival machines.

The basic body structure is the same as before, so once again the Rodeo has an unusual amount of room for both front and rear passengers compared with other pickups. The only problem with the rear is that elongated chaps like myself can easily thump their heads against the bodywork while clambering in, but for anyone less than six feet tall this probably won't be much of an issue.

I didn't take this particular vehicle off-road, but since there are no major mechanical changes, apart from the introduction of the new engine, I think we can assume that the impressive capability of the old car has been carried forward. There's a four-wheel drive system, of course, and a low-ratio gear range if you're being really serious about this, but you can also save fuel by sticking with rear-wheel drive for normal road use.

Switching from one mode to another doesn't involve hauling on any levers. Instead, there are three buttons just above the ratio marked 2H, 4H and 4L for two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and four-wheel drive low ratio. Altering the number of driven wheels can be done on the move at speeds of up to 60mph, but no matter how often you prod the 4L button you can't select low range unless the Rodeo is at a standstill.

The five-speed manual gearbox itself has been revised and now has a higher top gear, which not only helps high-speed fuel economy but also makes the Rodeo a surprisingly effective long-distance cruiser.

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