Isuzu D-Max review

Pick-up truck sales have risen massively because people are starting to realise they make very capable all-round transport, and the latest Isuzu D-Max takes that one stage further by adding some impressive new safety tech. 

Indeed, it has clever autonomous driving aids that you might struggle to find on some luxury cars, helping it to achieve five stars – the top score possible – under the latest (and most stringent) Euro NCAP crash-test regime. That doesn’t mean Isuzu has forgotten its traditional market as a building site load-lugger, though.

There's a selection of configurations available to suit all needs, from a single cab with a long bed for those interested in being able to carry the maximum payload (1205kg, if you’re asking), through an extended cab, to a full five-seater double cab for anyone looking for a weekday work truck that can also serve as a weekend family hauler.

The entry-level single cab models are rear-wheel drive only, while extended and double cabs are four-wheel drive. The latter body style gets the option of a six-speed automatic transmission in place of the six-speed manual that’s standard across the range. 

A pick-up that can change gears for you might sound fancy enough, but there are even posher high-spec DL40 and V-Cross versions of the D-Max with electric leather seats and sizeable infotainment screens to challenge the plushest Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux models. If all that seems a bit much, you can always plump for the entry-level Utility, a bare-bones truck that shuns even carpet (it's fitted with hard-wearing wipe-clean vinyl flooring instead).

Over the next few pages of this Isuzu D-Max review, we’ll tell you all you need to know about what it's like to drive, how much it will cost to run and much more. We'll also let you know how it compares with its closest rivals, including the Ranger and Hilux we mentioned above.

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