2025 Arctic Trucks AT35 off-road pick-up truck first drive

On sale Now | Price From £68,326 (with VAT), £57,005 (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 Trucks 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 has 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.

Every year, the AT35 gets a bit of a facelift from Arctic Trucks, but 2025 is different – this latest version also gets tweaks from Isuzu itself. As a result, the latest AT35 comes with new styling inside and out, a new infotainment system, more powerful lights and a redesigned optional light bar. 

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 Ford Ranger (a former pick-up of the year), the standard Isuzu D-Max 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 and 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 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.

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, or less aggressive versions of the Ranger and Hilux, 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. 

The light steering is ideal for off-roading, but isn’t all that confidence-inspiring on the road, only giving you a vague idea of what’s going on. As a result, we’d avoid spirited drives in the AT35 and recommend the Ranger Raptor instead, if that’s something on your priority list. That rival is much better, giving you more precise steering and proving to be less affected by mid-corner bumps.

As we’ve already alluded, 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. 

The new seats go some way in making the AT35 more comfortable on long journeys, compared with previous versions, but they could still do with more padding and you’ll ultimately be more comfortable in a Ranger on long drives. 

The added advantage of the high driving position is that it gives you good visibility out the front and over your shoulder, while the sizeable door mirrors help you to keep an eye on how close those rear wheel arches are to obstacles. The only slight issue is out of the rear, with the ride height obscuring your view of vehicles that are close behind. 

Even so, 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 seems to house a small sun and 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. As with the standard D-Max, the AT35 gets all of the updated software and is a definite improvement over the old system, with better graphics and a faster response as you tap around. Shortcut buttons along the bottom of the screen are a welcome addition, too – making it easier to access areas including the vehicle settings page.

There are a good amount of features, including DAB radio and Bluetooth, but there’s no built-in sat-nav. Given the price, that’s a bit of a shame, but at least you can run your favourite sat-nav app on the touchscreen, through wireless Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

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 1,520mm 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 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.

Even so, we’d still be tempted by the Ford Ranger Raptor instead. You see, the Raptor is just as capable off-road, but will also be a better companion on-road, proving genuinely good to drive on ordinary roads and generally easier to live with.

What Car? rating: 3/5

Arctic Trucks AT35 price and specs

Price £68,326 (including VAT) £57,005 (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 31.3mpg (WLTP) CO2, tax band 235g/km, 37%

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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