Item: Isuzu D-Max
Rating: 3.5

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The Isuzu D-Max is tasked with spearheading its brand’s push into the “lifestyle” market; that well-trodden but eminently profitable niche that gave birth to cars as varied as the Land Rover Defender, Ineos Grenadier, Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.

But what makes Isuzu’s sole passenger vehicle offering different is that it undercuts all of its closest rivals on price. It is cheaper than the Hilux, the Ranger, the Volkswagen Amarok, and even the KGM Musso. In short, there isn’t a cheaper way to get yourself into a large, rugged pick-up truck with a diesel engine.

Isuzu realised that it’s not enough to simply make your agricultural workhorse, well, an agricultural workhorse. You need to give it luxuries like snazzy 18in alloys, an eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as adaptive cruise control interspersed with off-road goodies such as a snorkel, a winch and chunky, all-terrain tyres.

But in gaining all of this additional technology and componentry are you now distracted from the fact it is no longer a cost-effective fleet-friendly tool? Or does it manage to blend true value-for-money, rough-and-ready charm with a modern feel that puts it as much as home towing your boat as parked next to it?

The Isuzu D-Max range at a glance

Being Isuzu's sole passenger vehicle offering, the D-Max’s range is fairly extensive but far from exhaustive. The entry-level Utility model gets interchangeable two- and four-wheel drive, a low-range gearbox, automatic headlights, 16in steel wheels (or 18s for the double-cab version), cruise control, hill descent control, air conditioning and bluetooth.

Stepping up to the DL20 car costs around £5000 more and grants you a locking rear differential, 18in alloys, a 4.2in infotainment display, and servo-assisted power steering. The DL40 doesn't add any off-road equipment but gets additional luxuries such as LED headlights, a 7in touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, push-button ignition, and a reversing camera.

The V-Cross, meanwhile, which is the primary subject of this review and the car Isuzu is using to target Defender and Grenadier buyers, gets a larger 9in infotainment screen, dual-zone climate control as well as lumbar support for the driver. You can additionally specify a camping kit complete with a two-man tent, sink, barbecue, awning and foldaway chairs.

At the top of the range sits the Arctic Trucks AT35 edition and the Mudmaster V-Cross, the latter of which is new to the fleet and comes with a winch, a light-bar mounted to the roof, a snorkel, all-terrain tyres mounted to 20in alloys, but underneath it is the same as the regular car.

All cars are powered by a 1.9-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 162bhp and 266lb ft. As standard, you get a six-speed manual gearbox but you can specify a six-speed Aisin automatic, said to shift 25% faster than its predecessor. In 2023, the sales split between the automatic and manual almost stood at 50:50.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Isuzu D-Max

While it can’t compete with the more premium rivals Isuzu is aiming at, the D-Max’s low price, peerless off-road capability and sturdy cockpit make it a decent proposition against more conventional rivals.

Good

Feels as sturdy as it looks

Unfathomably capable off-road

Bad

Unrefined, gruff diesel engine

Outdated infotainment system

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Looks as purposeful as it is modern

Does not sacrifice function for form

Cons

Slightly less distinctive than rivals

Payload is less than a VW Amarok

Old D-Max customers will likely notice the smaller, slimmer headlamps, a more prominent front grille, restyled and larger wheels, and a cleaner rear bumper design.

Single- and double-cab options remain, with the payload capacity for the tailgate rated at 1000kg, which is about the same as the Hilux and Ranger but 112kg less than the Amarok.

Elsewhere, the engine's air intakes accommodate an 800mm wading depth, with tougher underbody protection and additional electronic aids such as hill descent control and the interchangeable four-wheel drive system fitted as standard.

Its wheels are mounted further towards the bumpers to allow for approach and departure angles of 31deg and 24deg respectively, which is competitive with its key rivals but some way behind the more premium competition from Ineos and Land Rover.

INTERIOR

Pros

Space is not, and likely won't ever be, a struggle

Materials and buttons feel hard-wearing...

Cons

...but plastics are scratchy and hollow

Infotainment system is unintuitive and unattractive

Space inside is a major draw for the D-Max, with a light and airy cockpit that doesn't get any less light or airy the further back you go. At no point during our time with the car did we struggle for headroom or legroom, with the driver's seat and steering wheel offering enough adjustment to get comfortable whether you're going off-road or sticking to the beaten track.

Its interior surfaces have obviously been designed to withstand heavy boots, gloves and hard hats, with wipe-clean surfaces that are as tough as they are harsh to touch, and buttons with a reassuring solidity. In short, this cabin will be up to the job of coping with harsher treatment.

The same, however, cannot be said for the infotainment system. The 9in touchscreen featuring in the V-Cross as standard looks and feels cheap to use, its software seemingly developed for a last-generation Mitsubishi hatchback. It's also not a particularly intuitive system to use, with icons and buttons sneezed onto the menu screen with no real attitude to ergonomics or adjustability as you're driving. The system did at least pair Apple CarPlay easily enough and maintained a solid connection throughout, and considering the previous generation did not have this at all, it is a welcome addition.

The row of HVAC controls at the foot of this screen are also welcome, and feel as sturdy as they are easy to use. Also worth a mention is how powerful and fast-acting the air conditioning system is.

The controls for the interchangeable four-wheel drive, locking differential and low-range gearbox are also well located, being placed immediately next to the driver's left hand. The driver can change between drive systems at speeds of up to 60mph, and once the gearbox is in low range it will offer four speeds only.

Storage space is generally quite good, with two gloveboxes and cupholders as large as the door bins. There is also a handy space mounted on the roof for sunglasses, or indeed fishing permits.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Engine makes short work of lugging the car about

Impressive towing capacity

Cons

Motor is gruff and unrefined

Flat spot in the lower reaches and upper reaches is frustrating

Starting the D-Max for the first time you're met with that familiar mechanical clatter associated with agricultural four-pot diesel engines; there's no getting away from the fact that this is not a refined lump.

It produces 162bhp and 266lb ft of torque, which might not sound that much for a car that tips the scales at 2030kg, but it is actually more capable than you think and makes short work of hauling the car's mass. Even at lower speeds around town or off-road, you won't find the turbodiesel unit wanting.

There is a slight flat spot between 1500rpm and 2000rpm, which means that when you're off the beaten track you need to rev it out more than the 3.0-litre straight six in the Grenadier, but once the turbocharger has had time to spool it provides a decent measure of punch between 30mph and 60mph.

This torque is put to good use when you utilise its 3500kg towing capacity, which is the same as the Hilux and Grenadier and more than the Amarok (3100kg), but 500kg less than the Defender. Its rear-mounted leaf spring suspension has been chosen to provide better stability when towing loads this heavy.

At a cruise, the engine settles and becomes acceptably quiet, but despite measures taken by Isuzu to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, it is as rough as the terrain it wants to drive on under load and clunky in stop/start traffic. Another gripe we have is that the start/stop system isn’t very well integrated, shutting the engine down with too much force and vibration, and then taking a while to kick in again when you want to set off.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Feels stable at all speeds and on all terrains

Strong, progressive brakes

Cons

Busy low-speed ride

Vague steering

On the road, there's a reassuring level of stability whether it be on the motorway or in town. The car doesn't wander or twitch under power or heavy braking and the rear axle doesn't bounce or feel too stiff over ruts and imperfections. The brakes themselves feel stronger and more progressive than those in the Grenadier.

The steering, meanwhile, has a vagueness that doesn't work so much in its favour on-road as off, because you find yourself having to guess how much lock to put on to go round a given corner or roundabout. But after a while we suspect it will be easy to get used to, and this is probably exacerbated by the car's 60-section 265-diameter off-road tyres.

Going round bends it becomes obvious how well the car controls its mass. At no point does it feel wayward, and the ability of the anti-roll bars and suspension to counter pitch or heave makes for planted and generally well-controlled road manners.

Its low-speed ride can get quite busy, however, particularly on poorer road surfaces, which means the higher level of relative comfort on offer in a Ford Ranger will be more appealing.

Also worth a mention is its turning circle, which at 12.5m is tight enough to negotiate you out of even the tightest spots both on-road and off it. For reference, the Ranger’s turning circle is 12.7m, while the Amarok’s is 12.9m.

Off road, the steering is accurate enough that you trust its judgement when you're coming up to the crest of a hill and can't see the way down.

Generally, the car’s performance off the beaten track is stellar. Isuzu boasts that its four-wheel drive system is the fastest-engaging in its sector, getting the rear driveshafts online in just 0.69sec at speeds of up to 65mph. Approaching a steep incline, deep pool of water or narrow, muddy rut, the car's ability to take it all in its stride defies all expectations.

Particularly in Mudmaster V-Cross trim, which is unchanged from the standard car underneath, this is an unfathomably capable car off road, and impressively it can hold a candle to the Grenadier.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Cheaper to buy than its rivals

Competitive fuel economy

Cons

While capable, the basic car has a distinct lack of equipment

Depreciation will be steeper than premium rivals

One of the most obvious selling points for the D-Max is its starting price, which undercuts every car it competes with, and that includes higher trim levels such as the V-Cross.

Isuzu is yet to confirm pricing for the Mudmaster V-Cross edition, but it will be available with a host of additional features such as a safari-spec snorkel, an off-road suspension kit from UK-based specialist Pedders, 20in alloys with all-terrain tyres, steel underbody protection, 7in grille-mounted spotlights and Mudmaster decals.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Utility version still comes with enough kit to make it comfortable enough to live with, and while they go without a locking differential they will be capable enough to do what fleet buyers ask them to.

Worth noting is that all cars come with a five-year, 125,000-mile warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty.

As for its running costs, we're not yet certain of its real-world economy, but over 70 miles we saw an average of 35.7mpg after a mixture of stop/start off-roading and motorway driving, which beats Isuzu's claimed figure. By comparison, the Ford Ranger claims up to 44mpg and the VW Amarok 36mpg, while the Grenadier achieves up to 26.9mpg.

VERDICT

Isuzu D Max Mudmaster front headlamps on

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Isuzu D-Max

Good

Feels as sturdy as it looks

Unfathomably capable off-road

Bad

Unrefined, gruff diesel engine

Outdated infotainment system

Isuzu attempting to compete with luxury-oriented and fiercely competitive rivals in a new market with a car whose original brief was to provide basic, all-terrain transport for fleets was always going to be a challenge.

And it’s a challenge that the D-Max has a good stab at rising to, but not one it overcomes. Its unrefined, uninspiring diesel engine, vague steering and uninteresting - albeit well-equipped - interior means it cannot compete with Ineos and Land Rover’s flagship models.

But that’s not to say it hasn’t lost any of its relative charm. Being both cheaper to buy and just as capable off-road as its more conventional rivals from Ford and Volkswagen, it still offers a decent amount of equipment for the money, along with that measure of utilitarian, back-to-basics motoring that returning D-Max buyers look for.

And aside from the rather vague steering, Isuzu’s focus on the D-Max’s handling has made it temptingly competent on the road. It can’t match the Ranger for handling adjustability or the Amarok for rolling refinement, but for this price we wouldn’t expect it to.

It has all of its key selling points - ruggedness, durability and usability - down to a T, particularly in Mudmaster V-Cross trim, and does well to continue its reputation as a value-for-money workhorse.

Jonathan Bryce

Title: Social Media Executive

Jonathan is Autocar's social media executive. He has held this position since December 2024, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to become an editorial apprentice and pursue a career in motoring journalism.

His role at work involves running all of Autocar's social media channels, including X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn and WhatsApp.