Motoring Review Isuzu D-Max 4X4

Isuzu D-Max 4X4 Blade Double Cab Review

By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Journalist. Follow on Instagram @tbarnesclay

The Isuzu D-Max is big and bold and excellent for lugging loads everywhere.

Yes, first and foremost, the D-Max is a slogger, but that's no shocker as it's a pick-up truck, after all.

The six-speed automatic "Blade" variant, driven for this review, has a double cab, so it's also a motor you can move your family around in. It’s a versatile piece of kit, then, if you’re, say, a farmworker or a builder and you don't want to lease or buy another car for non-work activities.

Behind the Isuzu's wheel, you feel a bit like a character from the 1972 movie, "Deliverance". However, you won't be squealing like a pig with the pick-up's driving dynamics. Don't get me all wrong here, the Japanese-made commercial vehicle is a beast in a straight line, but it takes a lot of energy to make it go around bends smoothly. It's also sluggish off the mark, noisy

The Isuzu D-Max’s 1.9-litre turbo diesel lump puts down 164 PS and makes 360 Nm of torque.

and bouncy when not loaded up. In other words, the truck never lets you forget it's a working machine at heart.

The Isuzu D-Max’s 1.9-litre turbo diesel lump puts down 164 PS and makes 360 Nm of torque. This means it's capable of towing 3.5 tonnes and hauling a one-tonne load.

As with other D-Max models, its 4x4 capability is a significant feature, with a dial enabling you to opt for four-wheel drive on the fly. In addition, there’s a low-range setting, should you want extra traction and muscle for particularly hardcore terrain.

For all its rugged abilities, the £35,707 Blade Double Cab does have a smattering of luxuries, like a multi-function touchscreen, tinted windows and a remote-locking tailgate. It's also fitted with parking sensors, and a roller cover to keep prying eyes from seeing whatever's in the ample load bed.

Finally, the pick-up truck is sold with a fiveyear/125,000-mile warranty, and running costs are kept low thanks to 12,000-mile or 24-month service intervals. Roadside rescue and recovery, a six-year anti-corrosion warranty and a three-year paint guarantee come as part of the package, too.

Certainly, this vehicle is suited to Norfolk life, or indeed any other rural area where a robust, workhorse might be needed.

Fast Facts - 1.9 Blade 4x4 Double Cab Auto - as tested: • Max speed: 112mph • 0-62 mph: N/A • Combined mpg: 36.2 • Engine layout: 1898cc, 4-cylinder turbo diesel • Max. power (PS): 164 • CO2: 205 g/km • Price: £35,707