Improved familiarity : Isuzu D-Max First Drive

Major upgrades in the instrumentation see all but Utility models now using a 7-inch multi-information display ahead of the driver. V-Cross versions have also had their infotainment screen updated – it’s now an inch bigger than on other models but still with all the major requirements including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. this is wireless but new USB and USB C ports have also been added.

Many core D-Max users, however, will be most interested in the under-the-skin upgrades. Every version of the very capable 4×4 already comes with a rear differential lock and such off-road desirables as hill descent control, steel skid plates, an 800mm wading depth and such, but the new addition is a Rough Terrain Mode (RTM). RTM is an extension of the traction control system, by means of fine applications of throttle and brake reducing wheelspin and allocating power to those wheels with the most grip. It can also work alongside the differential lock, adding to the D-Max’s ability to tackle the most extreme environments. Finally there have been more safety enhancements, adding to the specification that has already earned the current D-Max five-star Euro NCAP status. Every version includes an extensive suite of ADAS electronic driver aids and these have been updated, thanks to an updated front stereo camera which allows improvements in such areas as the auto emergency braking, recognising potential hazards such as pedestrians and cyclists, and improving the recognition of traffic signs. One other factor too – weighing in at under 2040kg, the extended and double cab vehicles qualify for passenger car speed limits, not the 10mph slower goods vehicle limits.

What do we think of it?

Climb up into the D-Max, and for our less than tall reviewer it’s very much a case of climbing up, and you find yourself in a spacious environment with plenty of essential storage for what can be a mobile office on the road. The fit and finish is more hard-wearing than plush, even on the V-Cross range-topper – the plastics are obviously such but they look robust, likely more important in this model. And while the digital gauges are nice and up to date, once could argue that they are not as user-friendly as their predecessors in a vehicle that maintains traditional values elsewhere, notably the handbrake – this reviewer was not the only journalist on the event caught out by the fact that the D-Max is one of now very few vehicles on sale with a traditional handbrake lever! There are other plusses too – the new infotainment system might not be as flash as in other vehicles, but it’s very easy to use, particularly in cancelling unwanted alert signals… With a ‘proper’ 4×4 such as the D-Max any test drive is conducted in two parts, on and then very much off road. The first part saw your reviewer taking the vehicle around a variety of roads in Leicestershire. It’s a sign of the times that diesel engines now feel increasingly coarse compared to today’s standard fare of petrol or even electric drivetrains. The Isuzu engine is a bit growly and doesn’t feel massively potent – it could do with a bit more torque. Pick-ups have traditionally felt a bit floaty on the road, due to the extensive suspension movement they require for off-road ability. An empty load bay can also lead to a quite lively rear end. The D-Max is better than most in this respect, however. It feels a big vehicle when driving along particularly narrower single-track carriageways, but generally it rides well and the high-up seating position gives a commanding view of one’s surroundings.

This reviewer is not the most confident off-roader so having negotiated the less challenging of the courses on the launch event, including a high-speed run across grass that allowed one to get the tail of the D-Max out and observe how easy it was to snap it back into line, I handed over driving duties to a professional off-roader, the best way of seeing just how capable this vehicle is.

Of course, it is a D-Max, so it is very capable, stiff up and down gradients, side slopes and mud-filled trenches and ponds negotiated without the slightest concern. However while the off-road equipment on the vehicle is of course extensive, it does take someone who mud-plugs virtually every day to spot any missing elements, my driver ruing the fact that in adding new electronics including a front-facing stereo camera for the safety systems, the opportunity had not been taken to add a mode showing what is ahead on those stiff hills when all that can be seen from the driving seat is sky…