ISUZU D-Max Review & Prices

The Isuzu D-Max is a true workhorse of the pickup truck world. It’s not quite as glam as some of its more lifestyle-focused alternatives, but it’s tough, with high payloads, great safety scores and impressive off-road ability.

The D-Max is that slightly weathered-looking older worker on the building site. The younger lads might have the talk, the muscles and the shinier gear, but he just quietly gets on with it - and unlike them, can manage a stack of scaffold planks without asking for help.

Isuzu offers the D-Max in three body styles - single cab, extended cab and double cab - as well as several trim levels, from the rather sparse Utility up to the plush V-Cross. But part of the appeal of the D-Max has always been the glut of manufacturer-approved dealer-fit accessories, which allow you to turn your work truck into something rather more special if you desire. There’s also the mental D-Max Arctic Trucks, which is a total off-road monster that we’ll review separately.

Among the usual hard-tops, towing equipment and upgraded suspension you can also add on things like roof tents, lightbars and even a slide-out kitchen, all available through your Isuzu dealer and warrantied. It allows you to turn your D-Max from a hardworking pickup into an off-road monster or even a fully kitted-out camping station.

Keep it as a truck, though, and you’ll enjoy a good-sized load bed with plenty of payload. All models can carry over a tonne, with enough in reserve that they can still have a hardtop fitted and clear that magic figure. And all but the very base model can tow up to 3,500kg as well - up there with the very best.

The D-Max’s interior feels like it’s built for hard work too, even if that does mean it’s not as plush as a Ford Ranger’s. You get chunky controls, a touchscreen that only does the bare minimum and lots of hard plastics aimed at being wipe-clean rather than luxurious.

It’s not that roomy inside for the driver, either, and tall people will find themselves a little squashed in. The rear seats have good space, though, so if your pickup truck has to do double duty as a family car your passengers won’t feel short-changed.

The D-Max is available with a single 1.9-litre diesel engine, putting out 164hp and paired to either a manual or automatic gearbox. This is the weakest part of the Isuzu’s offering - it’s quite slow compared to the more powerful Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux or even KGM Musso, but it’s not more efficient or quieter to make up for it.

As long as you’re not in a hurry, though, the D-Max feels good to drive. It’s reasonably agile for a truck with sharp steering and predictable responses - it doesn’t feel vague like a KGM Musso, though it’s still a bit more agricultural than the Ford Ranger.

You can browse used vans and pickup trucks for sale right here on Carwow - and if you’re ready to change, why not try selling your old van through Carwow too? Our network of trusted dealers bid to get you the best price with the minimum of fuss.

The D-Max starts at a little over £26,000 ex.VAT for a single cab and nearly £30,000 for an extended cab. The D-Max is the only pickup for sale in the UK which still offers these bodystyles, the former of which still fully classes as a commercial vehicle for tax purposes.

The double-cab starts at just over £30,000 in Utility trim, rising to nearly £37,000 for the range-topping V-Cross. Mid-spec DL20 and DL40 models split the difference. An automatic gearbox is available on all but the Utility model and costs an additional £2,000.

Basic Ford Rangers and KGM Mussos are comparable in their double-cab forms to the entry-level D-Max, though the latter in particular comes rather better equipped with alloy wheels, a rear-view camera and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Both have more powerful engines than the D-Max, too.

A rather weak diesel engine, but otherwise comfortable and easy to drive both on the road and off it

There’s just one engine option for the Isuzu D-Max. It’s a 1.9-litre, four-cylinder diesel with 164hp and 360Nm of torque. This feels a bit weedy compared to alternatives - even those that aren’t much more powerful, like the 170hp Ford Ranger, feel notably more muscular.

It’s not that the D-Max is too slow, just that it needs working hard to keep up - and that means there’s not much in reserve when you’re trying to overtake on the motorway or make it down a short sliproad while heavily laden. It sounds quite coarse when you rev it, too.

Gearbox choices are a fairly nice six-speed manual - which gets a comically long shifter on Utility models without a centre console - or a six-speed automatic. This is the same auto gearbox that the Toyota Hilux uses and it’s well-suited to the D-Max, changing smoothly if not especially quickly.

The D-Max is notably nice to drive thanks to quick steering (for a pickup) and predictable, accurate responses. It doesn’t roll around too much in the corners and the back end feels quite tied-down even when unladen - unlike the KGM Musso which has a tendency to bounce a lot.

It does feel quite firm over bumps, though, so it’s not quite such a nice passenger experience on a long drive.

Off-road the D-Max is excellent, even in the more basic models. There’s a Rough Terrain mode to ensure power is going to the wheels which have the most grip, and all but the lowest-spec versions have a locking rear differential and extensive underbody protection. Hill descent control and hill-start assist are fitted as standard, as is a low-range gearbox.

Plenty of load space and good payload, but peruse the accessories catalogue if you want a bed liner or load cover

The D-Max comes in three body types. The Single Cab models have two doors and only two seats, and are the only versions that qualify for full commercial vehicle tax. They have the longest load area, and are also lower with smaller wheels.

Extended Cab models get conventional front doors and rear-hinged rear doors for access to a cramped back seat. The Double Cab models come with four proper doors and five proper seats. They’re the best dual-purpose models but do have the smallest load bed.

The load bed is unlined as standard but an array of under-and-over-rail bed liners are available. Tonneau cover choice is extensive too, from basic soft ones to all-singing, all-dancing electrically-retractable units. D-Max payload is enough that every model can also have a rear hardtop fitted and still carry a ton in the load bed.

Isuzu D-Max Internal and external measurements

Exterior dimensions (SC/EC/DC)

Length: 5,305mm/5,265mm/5,265mm
Width: 1,810mm/1,870mm/1,870mm
Height: 1,770mm/1,790mm/1,790mm

Load bed dimensions (SC/EC/DC)

Length: 2,315mm/1,805mm/1,495mm
Width: 1,530mm
Depth: 490mm

Towing capacity

All D-Max models can tow up to 3,500kg apart from the very base, rear-wheel drive Utility model - which can tow 2,500kg. The D-Max feels extremely stable while towing, despite its relatively low weight - most variants are less than two tonnes.

Payload

Despite its fairly low GVW (gross vehicle weight) the D-Max is lightweight enough that it can still carry a decent payload. The lowest is the top-spec V-Cross Auto, with a 1,070kg payload, but if you opt for a single-cab model you get as much as 1,205kg.

Hardwearing rather than luxurious, but the Isuzu D-Max has a reassuringly straightforward interior

Even pickup trucks aren’t immune to the march of tech - just look at the Ford Ranger and its mammoth central touchscreen and fully digital dashboard. The D-Max is a bit more old-school, with a more conventional infotainment system sat over a full climate control panel. Base models get regular dials with a screen between them, while the top two trims have a 7.0-inch digital dashboard.

The main draw with the D-Max’s interior is how simple it is to operate. Everything is clearly labelled and very little is hidden away underneath menu after menu. Take the safety functions, for example - all you have to do is press one shortcut key beneath the screen, and then they’re presented there for you to turn off with just one press.

Equipment levels are impressive too. Even Utility models have air-con, auto lights and wipers, lumbar support, electric windows and a DAB radio, while if you step up to DL20 you get a rear centre armrest and ducts for the heating in the rear to make it much nicer to carry passengers. Further up the range there’s keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, electric seat adjustment, leather upholstery and an eight-speaker stereo, all very civilised.

Storage is great too. You get a good-sized glovebox and cubbies in the centre as well as above the infotainment screen. There are also hidden cupholders at either end of the dash, a brilliant touch.

Fuel economy in the D-Max is pretty average, which is disappointing as it’s down on power compared to most alternatives. The manual models claim a maximum of around 33mpg, falling to around 30mpg for the autos. While we were able to beat this with around 32mpg achieved during a week with an automatic, it’s still not as good as the easy 35+mpg you’ll get in a Ford Ranger or KGM Musso.

CO2 emissions of over 200g/km mean that company car tax - now payable by double cab pickups - is hefty. However, Isuzu still offers a commercial-vehicle-qualifying single cab model which skirts this and pays the flat rate. All versions pay the standard flat rate of commercial vehicle road tax.

The D-Max has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, and every model is loaded with safety kit - unusual for a working vehicle. All versions get adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, intelligent speed limit assist, road sign recognition and autonomous emergency braking, and all double cab models also get a blind-spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.

As mentioned above it’s really easy to switch these from a dedicated menu, but you won’t mind leaving most of them on as they’re pretty unobtrusive. That’s a big win for usability.

The D-Max enjoys an enviable reputation for reliability and dependability. It’s the only model Isuzu makes and the engine in this version has been in service since 2017, so it’s certainly well-proven.

All models come with a generous five-year/125,000-mile warranty, which is shorter in duration but longer in mileage than the coverage on a Toyota Hilux. Service intervals are a modest 12,500 miles, though.

Isuzu dealers are frequented by working people and so they understand the necessity of having a working vehicle - you might not get such a fancy coffee as you would at a VW showroom when your Amarok’s being serviced, but you’ll probably enjoy a more rapid standard of care instead.