The new D-Max reached dealerships at the end of March, due to Covid, before the UK press introduction could be held. It also coincided with a major market upheaval.
Mitsubishi had announced a withdrawal from Europe but then Nissan said it would not bring the new Navara here post closure of its Barcelona plant. Projected sales could not justify the expense of meeting increasingly onerous EU legislation.
Current L200 and Navara will stay on sale while stocks last - L200 until the Autumn, say. Stocks of Barcelona Navaras will last a little longer (Spring 2022 perhaps). Now only four are left standing: Ford Ranger; Toyota Hilux; D-Max; SsangYong Musso.
Mitsubishi had announced a withdrawal from Europe but then Nissan said it would not bring the new Navara here post closure of its Barcelona plant. Projected sales could not justify the expense of meeting increasingly onerous EU legislation.
Current L200 and Navara will stay on sale while stocks last - L200 until the Autumn, say. Stocks of Barcelona Navaras will last a little longer (Spring 2022 perhaps). Now only four are left standing: Ford Ranger; Toyota Hilux; D-Max; SsangYong Musso.
So, with everything to play for, Isuzu’s latest D-Max majors on a stronger chassis (improved side impact resistance), re-worked suspension, new body and plusher cabin together with a raft of safety and connectivity features. Suspension: independent front and leaf sprung rear as usual but “redesigned” to improve ride.
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) brings Autonomous Emergency Braking,
Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limiter and Lane Departure deterrence.
Double Cabs add Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitor, Emergency Lane
Keeping. New D-Max is the first pick-up to obtain a full five-star result in the, now stricter, Euro NCAP safety tests.
The 1.9 litre, four-cylinder, 164ps Turbo Diesel engine with 360Nm of torque is a carry- over from the previous model but now requires AdBlue to meet the latest Euro 6D regulations.
Transmission: 6-speed manual or auto.
Good to see a manual gearbox across the range. There has been a drift to autos over the last decade but 2020 split was 71%-29% man-auto (2019 - 66%-34%).
A quarry in the Derbyshire Peaks served as the off-road venue with road routes for on-tarmac assessment. Bright sunshine that day was good for enjoying the scenery but meant dry conditions so a wet weather appraisal will have to wait.
The 4x4 system is familiar. High and Low Ratios via a transfer box: rear wheel drive only on-road but a choice of 4x4 High or Low Ratio off-road. All but the basic models
have a Rear Differential Lock (push-button) selectable up to 5mph in 4x4LR with auto-disengage at 19-mph. Otherwise, there’s the usual array of electronic aids – stability (with trailer anti-sway), traction, Hill Start/Hill Descent Control, etc.
The D-Max dealt with the quarry’s ‘obstacle course’ effortlessly, as expected. Its diff-lock did seem to be a more overt asset ‘in extremis’ than a Limited Slip Diff would have been. Variable weight steering and a lighter clutch (manual variants) did make the going smoother and far less tiring in traffic.
As before, payload capacity is 1t+ for VAT purposes with a braked trailer maximum of 3.5t. Nonetheless vehicle weight is below 2,040kg (all types) so subject only to passenger car (not CV) speed limits.
Ride and roadholding on-road have improved but a poor road surface does become apparent. The improvement achieved however together with a higher quality interior makes for a comfortable cabin environment. Steering wheel adjusts for both reach and rake. Cup-holders abound as does storage for a broad range of in-vehicle items.
Outside of Europe, the D-Max is available with a 3.0-litre, 4-cyl engine. The business case for that here unfortunately just does not stack up. The 1.9-litre performed quite well on the rural roads of the Peak District but the vehicles were unladen.
Demand for the new Isuzu is outstripping supply already, it is said, and there’s a waiting list. The UK target of 5,000 units this year seems in the bag with a predicted
10,000pa ahead of the 2025 target. The company does feel the ‘wind in its sails’ and believes it has a product strong enough to take on the pick-up pack leaders.
Model Range: “Business/Utility” (4x2/4x4) Single, Extended or Double Cab. “All-Purpose”: DL20 or DL40 (Diff Lock) 4x4 Double Cab. “Adventure”: V-Cross 4x4 DC.
Price Range: £21,009 - £32,759 (excl VAT); £25,145 - £39,245 (Incl VAT).
UK Sales 2020: Ranger (13,097); Hilux (5,927); L200 (5,456); Navara (4,138); D-Max (3,154).
Facts & Figures: 112mph; 0-62mph 12.7-13.0-secs; MPG 30.7-33.6 (WLTP
Combined); Road Tax (LCV TC39-£275pa); Ins Grp 50D; Wading Depth 800mm;
Warranty 5-yrs/125,000 miles.
By Huw Thomas
First published in Welsh Farmer, the newspaper of the Farmers' Union of Wales
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) brings Autonomous Emergency Braking,
Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limiter and Lane Departure deterrence.
Double Cabs add Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitor, Emergency Lane
Keeping. New D-Max is the first pick-up to obtain a full five-star result in the, now stricter, Euro NCAP safety tests.
The 1.9 litre, four-cylinder, 164ps Turbo Diesel engine with 360Nm of torque is a carry- over from the previous model but now requires AdBlue to meet the latest Euro 6D regulations.
Transmission: 6-speed manual or auto.
Good to see a manual gearbox across the range. There has been a drift to autos over the last decade but 2020 split was 71%-29% man-auto (2019 - 66%-34%).
A quarry in the Derbyshire Peaks served as the off-road venue with road routes for on-tarmac assessment. Bright sunshine that day was good for enjoying the scenery but meant dry conditions so a wet weather appraisal will have to wait.
The 4x4 system is familiar. High and Low Ratios via a transfer box: rear wheel drive only on-road but a choice of 4x4 High or Low Ratio off-road. All but the basic models
have a Rear Differential Lock (push-button) selectable up to 5mph in 4x4LR with auto-disengage at 19-mph. Otherwise, there’s the usual array of electronic aids – stability (with trailer anti-sway), traction, Hill Start/Hill Descent Control, etc.
The D-Max dealt with the quarry’s ‘obstacle course’ effortlessly, as expected. Its diff-lock did seem to be a more overt asset ‘in extremis’ than a Limited Slip Diff would have been. Variable weight steering and a lighter clutch (manual variants) did make the going smoother and far less tiring in traffic.
As before, payload capacity is 1t+ for VAT purposes with a braked trailer maximum of 3.5t. Nonetheless vehicle weight is below 2,040kg (all types) so subject only to passenger car (not CV) speed limits.
Ride and roadholding on-road have improved but a poor road surface does become apparent. The improvement achieved however together with a higher quality interior makes for a comfortable cabin environment. Steering wheel adjusts for both reach and rake. Cup-holders abound as does storage for a broad range of in-vehicle items.
Outside of Europe, the D-Max is available with a 3.0-litre, 4-cyl engine. The business case for that here unfortunately just does not stack up. The 1.9-litre performed quite well on the rural roads of the Peak District but the vehicles were unladen.
Demand for the new Isuzu is outstripping supply already, it is said, and there’s a waiting list. The UK target of 5,000 units this year seems in the bag with a predicted
10,000pa ahead of the 2025 target. The company does feel the ‘wind in its sails’ and believes it has a product strong enough to take on the pick-up pack leaders.
Model Range: “Business/Utility” (4x2/4x4) Single, Extended or Double Cab. “All-Purpose”: DL20 or DL40 (Diff Lock) 4x4 Double Cab. “Adventure”: V-Cross 4x4 DC.
Price Range: £21,009 - £32,759 (excl VAT); £25,145 - £39,245 (Incl VAT).
UK Sales 2020: Ranger (13,097); Hilux (5,927); L200 (5,456); Navara (4,138); D-Max (3,154).
Facts & Figures: 112mph; 0-62mph 12.7-13.0-secs; MPG 30.7-33.6 (WLTP
Combined); Road Tax (LCV TC39-£275pa); Ins Grp 50D; Wading Depth 800mm;
Warranty 5-yrs/125,000 miles.
By Huw Thomas
First published in Welsh Farmer, the newspaper of the Farmers' Union of Wales
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