RV FEATURE
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Nonetheless , it was the perfect opportunity to test how the Isuzu ute , with its 3L turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission , performed in terms of fuel-efficiency when towing a van .
THE TEST
The van was hitched to the D- MAX via a DO35 coupling . The ute was carrying me and another passenger – I ’ d estimate vehicle payload of about 160kg .
The weather wasn ’ t particularly favourable – wind and rain were the order of the day – and time was against us . That being said , we managed over 150km of combined city and highway driving . Admittedly , it was mostly highway , but the journey included 40 minutes of stop-start traffic as we attempted to leave Melbourne via the Hume Highway .
Had things gone more to plan earlier in the day , we would ’ ve run this test over a longer distance ; however , by the end of the day , I felt that we ’ d done enough to produce a credible result .
To begin with , I trickle-filled the ute with diesel and zeroed the trip-meter . We then hit the highway and were on and off the brake pedal for what felt like a long time , before finally clearing the interminable roadworks that were holding up traffic .
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