A week with the Arctic Trucks AT35

We wrote last month about the unrivalled utility of the pick-up truck, a type of vehicle that gives us access to new experiences. With the highly-modified Arctic Trucks version of the Isuzu D-Max, dubbed the AT35, that certainly seems accurate. We took it on a trip to the Lake District and Scotland, belting through torrential rain, freezing conditions and even spending a couple of nights in it. More on that later.

The AT35 carries the basic look of the original Isuzu D-Max but turns everything up to 11, at least on the exterior. The name is derived partly from the enormous 35-inch BF Goodrich tyres that are fitted to the truck as standard, requiring the bodywork to be totally re-engineered with cartoonish flared arches, super chunky side steps and mudflaps as thick and durable as paving slabs. As you will have already guessed, the AT stands for Arctic Trucks, a company that for the last three decades has been upgrading pick-ups (and even the Nissan Ariya EV) for extreme off-road adventures.

The suspension is jacked up with Bilstein springs and dampers to sit 50mm higher than the standard D-Max. Ground clearance at the front is an impressive 266mm and 290mm at the rear. Our test vehicle came in Obsidian grey with matching 17-inch alloys, complete with Arctic Trucks-branded centre caps (bright metallic orange is also available). This is a mean-looking thing with real stance, dwarfing virtually everything else on four wheels. The headlights are also the brightest we have ever seen: full beam at night risks burning the retinas of any wildlife within a four-mile radius.

Inside, the cabin is very much the same although this time there is a six-speed manual gearbox, a welcome addition. Useful cubby holes can be found throughout, from the overhead glasses case holder that flips down to the slim compartment hidden away on top of the dash. This was used to hold keys, wallets and other trinkets but could benefit from a softer finish inside – the scratchy plastic makes quite an annoying sound as items rattle around.

The touchscreen is also identical and as such is as disappointing to use as before. There is no dial for volume or air conditioning control, instead replaced with a plus and minus button for each. It transforms what would otherwise be a quick turn of the wrist into a process of mashing the buttons until the desired volume is reached. The system also seemed to take offence to CarPlay connecting at times, which was almost more frustrating than if it did not work at all; we were never quite sure whether it would play ball before setting off. Rear visibility was quite poor, although little can be done to remedy that beyond some kind of rear-view camera system while driving.

The Basecamp AT35 was originally revealed at the 2022 Commercial Vehicle show as a one-off display car. The most important feature was at the back. The cab contains huge slide-out drawers, one of which is simply for storage, while another contains the ARB camp kitchen. This houses everything from a food-safe work surface to a gas stove and fold out sink. It feels solid and can be assembled in under 30 seconds without rushing. Above these drawers is a flat, carpeted load surface that functions like a normal boot, although one section is taken up by an imposing heavy-duty fridge, also from Australian firm ARB.

To access the far end of the bed, pop-out side windows can be lifted up by pressing switches hidden at the sides of the truck and linked to the central locking system. Mounted to the roof is the pièce de resistance, the ARB Esperance roof tent with a hardshell that folds down to the same size as a standard roof box, if not slimmer.

While we are careful to avoid this becoming a camping review, the tent is incredibly easy to use, with gas struts that do the heavy lifting for you and just a few metal pegs to prop up the windows. The ladder is hidden under the tent and is just as easy to fold out. Capable as this tent is, it was perhaps a poor choice to review it during a two-night stay in Scotland in freezing November temperatures. Special mention to the integrated lighting system, which can be easily set up to illuminate both inside and out of the tent. A nice touch.

Engine specification is a rare topic for us here at Car Design News, but this remains an example of where power (and more importantly torque) can seriously impact the driving experience. This is never going to be a vehicle that thrills in the corners or pushes you back in your seat, but the 164PS, 1.9-litre turbodiesel is just too weak for such a brute. At highway speeds, gentle inclines can see the speedo tumble even with the pedal mashed into the floor (cruise control soon needs to be disengaged to avoid being overtaken by following lorries).

Much like the Suzuki Jimny, long trips are driven almost flat out just to keep up with traffic. Again, this is not a car that will break any acceleration records, but extra performance would make pilgrimages like ours more relaxing and perhaps even more affordable (we returned about 27mpg over our 800-mile round trip).

That being said, at no point was it evident that a tent was strapped to the roof, or that a heavy-duty fridge and kitchen set were loaded up in the back of the cab. Credit where credit is due, the ride comfort was excellent and despite the sluggish acceleration did not feel too much different to the standard D-Max. The main difference was NVH. Those enormous tyres do add some serious whine at anything over 50mph, countered only by the wind noise coming from the deflectors on the front windows.

Some grace should probably be given at this point considering the AT35 is in fact a commercial vehicle. With a payload of over one tonne, a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes and a five-year warranty, it certainly ticks the right boxes for those who use this for business. As a weekend getaway vehicle, it also pulled its weight and might tempt some to fork out the roughly £50,000 if frequent camping trips are on the cards.