ISUZU is Japan's oldest vehicle manufacturer and as film star Michael Caine might say, 'not many people know that.'

And the company is back in the UK spotlights with a bang having launched the D-Max range of pick-ups to great acclaim.

The marque, once doing well in Britain with its range of 4x4 utilities is now pitching for pick-up sales hoping to lure buyers away from the likes of Mitsubishi and Nissan with its latest product.

You might say that pick-ups are only for the farmyard or builder's yard, which they once were. But these days it is all about bling and Isuzu has put up a big chrome plated front on its premium range to draw glances.

Without a hint of macho artwork or scary names emblazoned on the sides this one does it in style.

The 4x4 Yukon Double Cab with its classy truck-top covered load area seemed almost too smart to drive down muddy lanes so I applied some innovation and ventured into the heart of Mayfair and Belgravia to let the D-Max strut its stuff with with the rest of the Chelsea tractors which were having their Sunday airing.

And it certainly drew admiring glances in a swarm of Range Rover Sports, Porsche Cayennes, Nissan Muranos and the like. And because of its size it queened it around places like Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch because nobody dared cut it up.

The reason is that with the covered rear top with side windows it really looks more like a giant estate than a pick-up and it certainly proved its worth, swallowing a vast amount of luggage.

But it has another ace up its sleeve and that is motorway performance.

Powered by a new super-efficient 2.5-litre twin-turbo common rail diesel it is a silent and slick performer, belying its weight and undisputed bulk. It has a vast reservoir of torque available and although being a pick-up it proved to be one of the best long-range cruisers I have driven this year. It is hardly surprising that this power unit is so good because the company, founded in 1916 has manufactured more than 22 million diesel engines.

This one churns out 163ps and gives a combined mpg figure of 32.8mpg. It can handle loads too with 3,000kg (braked) towing and 1,000kg payload capacities.

The D-Max pick-up underwent one of the most comprehensive development programmes in the company's history. Succeeding the popular Rodeo, the D-Max is the most efficient and most refined Isuzu pick-up ever produced, while retaining the legendary toughness for which the brand has become renowned the world over.

With far more uses than just the workplace, this is one of the most attractive pick-ups around.