First drive review: Isuzu D-Max
Saturday, 31 October 2020
ISUZU D-MAX
Price range: $49,990 to $75,490
Powertrains: 3.0-litre turbodiesel inline inline-four with 140kW/450Nm, 8.0L/100km, six-speed automatic/six-speed manual, 2WD/4WD
Body style: Cab/chassis, double cab, space cab
On sale: Now
The last Isuzu D-Max was around for eight years, which made it well due for replacement. So that’s exactly what Isuzu has done with this ground-up all-new model that, this time around, will share its underpinnings with a Mazda, rather than a Holden…
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
It’s a ute, and a thumping good one. The new D-Max is a clean-sheet design that is new from the ground-up, however there are a few carryover bits from the last one.
**READ MORE:
* Isuzu details NZ-bound D-Max
* Road test review: Isuzu D-Max
* Isuzu D-Max ute is more Taranaki than Takapuna
**
It has the same 3.0-litre turbodiesel as before but it’s now a lot quieter and makes 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque, up 10 and 20 units respectively on the last model. Switching cogs is either a six-speed automatic or a six speed manual, both carryovers from last generation, with some added refinement.
There are a bunch of new driver aids, like active cruise, autonomous emergency braking and lane keep, plus a new side centre airbag, all of which have landed the D-Max a five star ANCAP rating under 2020 testing regulations, objectively making it the safest ute on the market right now.
The related Mazda BT-50 also got a five-star rating but the Isuzu pipped it in terms of pedestrian head protection (16.98 out of 24 compared to 17.78 out of 24 for the Isuzu) and upper leg impacts (4.80 out of 6 versus 5.01 out of 6 for the Isuzu).
Isuzu has also rejigged the off-roading electronics with things like hill descent control, a switchable differential lock and a more refined four-wheel drive system, making this a highly capable machine in rural situations, a key selling area for Isuzu. Most models in the 15-strong range have heavy-duty suspension as standard as well.
The steering is now electronic rather than hydraulic, allowing for some of those assisting driving aids as well as taking load off the engine and lightening the rack at low speeds.
More immediately obvious are the new design cues. This ute looks great, both inside and out.
Where did you drive it?
Somewhere in the middle of Canterbury called High Peak Station. It’s a gigantic farm, spanning some 3875 hectares and its owners, the Guild family, have been here since the mid-1970s. They generously let us play in a tiny speck of it, which included some river wading, articulation tests and driving up a mountain to a point just under 1000 metres above sea level.
And, you know what, every D-Max we had took it all in stride. Even the absolute base model, an LX single cab chassis with a manual transmission, because Isuzu kit out its utes with some proper tech.
The hill descent system doesn’t require you to set a speed, for instance. All you need to do is take your foot off the brake as you start down the hill and the system locks in that speed. It works well, although adjusting the speed once you’ve started is a bit tricky when you’re bouncing down a rocky track.
You’ve also got such standards as a switchable four-wheel drive system with high and low ratios, a differential lock and a capable traction control system.
We pushed the utes fairly hard over two days, clambering around mountains and fording through rivers. It was nothing out of the ordinary for farm vehicles and all D-Maxs on duty performed admirably. The manual-equipped models didn’t feel out of place next to the six-speed autos thanks to the four-wheel drive system.
The terrain wasn’t just simple gravel roads, often it was chunky rocks and pot-holed tracks. The D-Max was more than happy to navigate the territory, bouncing through the ruts and holding traction mid-articulation. Isuzu says the new ute can wade through waters up to 800mm deep, and we must have got pretty close to that figure at one point. Everything was still running as we exited the river, thankfully.
Isuzu’s new steering system is remarkable, keeping things light at all speeds. It could send a bit more feedback to the driver though, as there were a few times where I wasn’t sure if the front end was sliding or I simply needed to turn the wheel more. Thankfully, it was always the latter. The system is a massive improvement over the old model though.
On sealed roads, things are breezy. The steering is much better here, where precise inputs aren’t as important. The new D-Max is quite happy to attack corners, within reason, and the added power and torque of the 3.0-litre engine is appreciated. Not quite as much as the 500Nm of the updated Hilux but still.
Adaptive cruise control is present across the range, thanks to a new binocular frontal camera system, which works right down to standstill. You also get lane-keep assist, although the system is a bit too intrusive for my liking and you can only turn it off via a hidden menu that shows up when you’re at a complete stop.
What’s the pick of the range?
Isuzu says the LS will be its volume seller, the D-Max’s middle-ground model, but my favourite was actually the base LX. It doesn’t have all the niceties of the more expensive variants but it did everything they did without fuss. There’s also something quite charming about the humble workhorse…
Though, if you are interested in the latest and greatest, Isuzu’s new range topper, the X-Terrain, is a proper Ranger Wildtrak fighter. It doesn’t have any major hardware changes, instead getting by with pretty much the whole options list thrown at it. It’s bloody good, too.
Why would I buy it?
You want Isuzu’s dependability, the new ute’s capability on and off-road and the safest truck on the New Zealand market. Also, maybe you’re a current Holden Colorado owner looking to upgrade and, even though this is all new, it’s probably the closest thing you are going to get to a Colorado now…
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
The price increase doesn’t sit right with you. The D-Max is now roughly on par with the Hilux in that regard, although it should be said that Toyota’s price is firm while Isuzu may have some wiggle room if you ask nicely.