Title fight

“The battle between Ranger and the Toyota Hilux has been long drawn out and spectacular, but now there’s a new contender for the crown.”

“I am the Greatest” – Muhammed Ali coined one of the most famous quotes in sporting history when he went up against Sonny Liston in 1964. Ali – referred to by some as the Louisville Lip - had a way with words that few sports personalities have come close to rivalling. More to the point, his pre-match sledging was backed up by devastating form in the ring.

The same might be said of Ford’s Ranger. Champion of the New Zealand ute world, multi-awarded, its trophy cabinet groaning with cups and plaques and accolades. A heavy-hitter in the driveway and on the land. The Ranger is New Zealand’s best-selling ute and month by month usually the top-selling vehicle overall, competing with Toyota’s Hilux for the title. Over the ditch the Hilux is ahead, making Kiwi motorists pretty much unique in Ford’s world.

But there’s always a young contender waiting in the wings, looking to topple the King. Eventually even Ali was forced to hand over his crown.

Now the moment has come, and we choose Isuzu’s new D-Max to stand nose to nose with the champion. A sensation on the rise, and transformed in its latest form with its all-new base, extensive attention to driving dynamics and of course Isuzu’s comprehensive safety specification, which the company says makes the new D-Max the safest ute ever. It scored a perfect five stars in the latest ANCAP test; the Ford Ranger also has a five-star rating but it’s based on the 2015 testing regime.

It’s an interesting prospect. The Ranger laid on by Ford is its new Wildtrak X, a high spec ‘shiny’ that may well be the best Ranger ever. From its bronze-nostrilled grille, along its gloss black wheel-arch