Isuzu has released the all-new D-Max, we were invited to a quarry to put the new truck through its paces. Isuzu’s focus has always been creating a reliable product for commercial use, the new D-Max still has this in its DNA. There is a range of trim levels available, starting with the Utility trim, this is geared towards business use, it is available in single, extended and double cab. It maybe the entry spec however Isuzu don’t scrimp on standard equipment. Every model in the range has, as standard, the latest Advanced Driver Assist Systems which includes; Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition, Manual and Intelligent Speed Limiter, Lane Departure Warning and Prevention System, on double cab; Blind Spot Monitor, Emergency Lane Keeping and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Instead of using radar at the front Isuzu has opted to use a Dual Camera system mounted at the top of the windscreen, this is within the wiper area so more likely to keep clean than radar mounted in the bumper.
In order to test the Autonomous Emergency Braking system, a polystyrene truck was placed in the quarry. Instructed to aim at said truck whilst doing around 20-25mph, it felt odd to fight the temptation to hit the brake on the approach. After a few warning beeps and lights flashing on the dashboard the system took full control of the braking, slamming to a halt before impact. An impressive system, Its something you hope you’d never need to rely on but you have peace of mind knowing its there if you have a lapse in concentration.
The Utility trim comes with black plastic bumpers, mirrors and door handles. Isuzu has also listened to customers and decided against using carpets in the Utility, in favour of an easily cleaned vinyl floor. Other standard equipment includes; Automatic Headlights with high beam assist, Automatic Wipers, Speed-Sensitive Power Steering, DAB radio and Stop & Start Technology. Utility models are fitted with steel wheels (16”on single cab and 18” on extended and double cab) and available with only a manual transmission.
Isuzu splits their trim levels across three categories; Business, All-Purpose and Adventure. Utility is within the Business category, two trims are available in the All-Purpose category; DL20 and DL40. The DL in the name indicates that the rear diff-lock is a standard feature of these models. The DL20 introduces Heated Seats, Rear Parking Sensors, Front Fog Lights, Body Coloured Bumpers, Silver Door Handles, a Medium Grey Grille and 18” Alloy Wheels to give a more high end look. DL40 increases this even further; Leather Upholstery with an 8-way Electric Adjustable Driver’s Seat compared to the Cloth Upholstery and 6-way Manually Adjustable Driver’s Seat of the lower models. A 7” Multifunction Touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Dual-Zone Climate Control, Bi-LED Headlights, Chrome Grille, Two-Tone 18” Alloys, Silver Side Step, Front and Rear Parking Sensors and Reversing Camera all add to the appeal of the DL40.
The Adventure category is where Isuzu expect to see the biggest increase in sales over the next few years, with the V-Cross being the range topping Model. The V-Cross features a more aggressive looking Gun Metal colour on the Grille, Side Step, Door Mirrors and 18” Alloys. Inside an even bigger 9” Touchscreen, CD Player and an 8 Speaker Sound System. The headlights are also Auto-Levelling offsetting the load in the rear.
The wheelbase of the D-Max has been increased, allowing greater room for the rear passengers. The rear seats also fold flat giving greater load capacity. All models feature an integrated step in the rear bumper for ease of access and have a damped tailgate. A big headline for the D-Max is it’s weight, every model in the range is below 2040kg, meaning no speed restrictions apply unlike some of its competitors who are over, and need to keep 10mph under the national speed limit.
During the visit to the quarry I took a V-Cross on the off-road course, designed to test the trucks thoroughly. A handy toggle switch for changing the drivetrain mode can be changed from 2WD to 4WD on the move, you need to be stopped and in neutral to engage the low range box though. The D-Max gives you confidence to take on the steep ascents, and does so with ease, it was impressive to watch the other trucks doing the same challenges to realise how easy it made them seem. The wading depth has been increased too, so next it was into a big puddle, almost to the top of the bonnet, but the engine didn’t miss a beat. A demonstration of the diff-lock was next, getting the truck into a position where a wheel at either end was dangling in mid air and spinning those wheels. A push of the diff-lock button and the truck powers out of the position effortlessly. The off-road section concluded with a very steep downhill drive giving hill descent control a try. Another piece of technology which goes against your instincts of braking down hill but it controls the descent perfectly. Whilst hill descent control is active you can control the speed by modulating the pedals and the truck will hold that speed. All the off-road section was performed on standard road tyres, nothing phased the D-Max, a very capable off-roader. I’d love to see what it could do with some proper knobbly tyres on it.
The final test was on the road, both a manual and automatic transmission. Firstly I took a manual V-Cross, considering the size of the D-Max I was surprised how well it held the road, on the tight twisty roads around the quarry it felt nimble. The 164PS felt punchy enough with its 360NM of torque. On the motorway it felt refined and quiet, and had all of the toys you’d expect from a modern family car. Back to base to swap into an automatic DL40, it was very similar to the V-Cross. The automatic gearbox was a little less refined though, the gears held a bit longer than I expected. There is a tiptronic mode, although it was quite sluggish changing. I definitely preferred the manual box.
Overall the D-Max is great pickup, very capable off-road and well refined on-road with all the latest safety systems onboard. It comes with a Euro NCAP 5 Star rating too. Personally I’d choose a Manual V-Cross.
4/5
