WHEN you consider it, making a Sport edition of a truck which has a top speed of just 109mph might seem a little strange.

After all, a 0-60mph time of almost 11 seconds isn’t exactly going to set the world alight.

But leaving a trail of smoking rubber as you pull away from the lights is not really what the Rodeo is about.

It’s a workhorse masquerading as a lifestyle vehicle and so long as you understand that you won’t go far wrong.

Nowhere near as refined as say the Nissan Navara, the Rodeo is nevertheless a decent member of its class. It has its faults, but it still manages to perform the job it is designed to do.

Powered by a 3.0 litre turbo diesel engine mated to an automatic gearbox, the Rodeo produces just over 245lb/ft of torque, giving it ample pulling power.

The gearchanges aren’t exactly smooth, offering a little jolt as it moves up through the box, but once it gets to cruising speed progression is smooth.

For a vehicle as big as it is, the Rodeo is fairly easy to manoeuvre around town. However, there are issues about its handling. Hit any kind of undulation and you will know about it.

In some ways the name literally fits as you are bounced around the cabin, and that’s just those in the front. What it’s like for those in the back on a journey of any distance, goodness knows.

Taking bends is also best done at a steady speed. Anything above 30mph and the cabin pitches to one side and grip begins to ebb away.

I am sure things like that don’t matter so much when it’s getting down and dirty, but for every-day commuting it’s just not pleasant.

While the outside is imposing, the angles muscular and testosterone exudes from every aspect, the inside is a little less memorable.

Isuzu has tried by including neon lighting on the side sills and around the ignition, but it’s a bit of a token gesture.

Save for that, the Pioneer stereo system, which I found a little chavvy for my tastes, and the twin DVD players in the rear, a real find for the kids, the rest of it is a forgettable mass of black and grey, with the odd little bit of silver thrown in.

It is, however, put together well, so there are positives to be found as well.

The two-tone leather and suede seats are supportive enough and, aside from being bounced around, I had no complaints at the end of a journey of several hundred miles.

You could complain, however, about the noise generated from the diesel powerplant, but then you are first and foremost in a truck.

There’s a lot of noise at low speeds and while it gets better the faster you go, there is still significant invasion, even when cruising.

Noise from our under-repaired roads also builds, as does wind sound, but neither can be described as truly irritating.

While there is plenty of room in the front, strangely for a vehicle of its size, room in the rear is somewhat cramped.

You can squeeze three passengers in but they don’t have much legroom.

With the hard top in place the view out of the rear is practically non-existent, due to the degree of distortion it generates, so you have to learn to use your wing mirrors regularly.

On the flip side, however, reversing is made easier than perhaps you might imagine, thanks to the inclusion of a rear-facing camera.

Isuzu say it is possible to get from Lands End to John O’Groats on a full tank of diesel and while I am sure there must have been more than a degree of tactical driving employed to achieve this, I too found it a relatively frugal beast, returning a combined mpg figure in the mid- 30s.

A sports vehicle it is not, but, if you’re in the market for a tough, go-anywhere truck with a hint of a little extra, the Rodeo still deserves a sporting chance.

Specification

Price: £24,999
Engine: 3.0 litre turbo diesel
Max power: 167bhp
Max torque: 245.6lb/ft
Max speed: 109mph
0-60mph: 10.8 seconds
Average fuel consumption: 31.4mpg (combined)
Equipment (includes): Electric windows; airbags; leather/suede seats; leather covered steering wheel; illuminated side sills and ignition; MOMO gear-knob; 20ins alloy wheels; rear lamp guards; chrome bonnetedge finisher; mesh front grille with black backing; under-rail liner; side-steps; premium hard top; Xenon headlamps; rear door privacy glass; ‘Sport’ badging; Pioneer audio/navigation and rear passenger DVD system.