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Isuzu has been one of the pioneers in the light commercial/bakkie sector over the past few decades. While many manufacturers have taken a luxury route with an SUV-feel to them, some manufacturers have opted to keep the traditional, rough-and-tumble feel, but with modern tech and convenience features to make piloting the bakkie much easier.
Related: Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD double cab LS auto (2022) review
Manufactured in South Africa, the D-Max strikes a balance between a robust and dependable bakkie with practicality in mind. At the same time, the D-Max adds comfort and convenience suited for urban usage as well. We had the 3.0TD LSE extended cab on test and these are our thoughts.
Styling
The Isuzu D-Max in its shape mimics a shark on the prowl. A sharp nose with aggressive headlights and a grille with chrome trim that looks like a pair of fangs. The vehicle looks imposing, quite lean and muscular without extra bulk to give away its large size. In the load bin area, you'll find a vinyl tonneau cover, rear LED taillights with dark grey inserts and lastly, a massive 'ISUZU' badge. In the Desert Orange signature colour, it's an attractive design.
6-spoke, machined, two-tone 18-inch wheels are wrapped with meaty All-terrain tyres, further pushing the muscular look of the D-Max. The roof line looks low but there's plenty of space in the interior to accommodate taller individuals. Although a traditional bakkie silhouette, the D-Max aces the looks department.
Space & Interior
The interior of the D-Max 3.0TD LSE greets you with padded leather seats, a dashboard with leather trim and white stitching on the edges, and dashes of gloss piano-black trim. A large 9-inch infotainment screen adorns the centre console and takes up much of the real estate there along with digital aircon controls with flip switchgear. Behind the front seats is the extra area the extended cab gives with 2 storage compartments and pop-out windows. There are many storage compartments in the D-Max's interior so you won't be short-changed when it comes to storage. The interior doesn't feel cramped and if anything feels like a luxury SUV with the quality of the finishes but at the same time feels like it's ready for a trip offroad.
The load area dimensions are: 1805mm length x 1530mm width x 490mm depth.
Comfort & Convenience
The D-Max 3.0TD LSE slots in below the top-of-the-range V-Cross double cab. With that in mind, you'll find some of the best comforts Isuzu can offer. One part of the show is the seats. The front seats in the 3.0TD LSE are very supportive with a bucket seat quality to them. They are properly comfortable in the heat and for longer journeys. The interior is quiet when on the road and without rattles.
The 9-inch infotainment touchscreen works as it should with a decent 6-speaker sound system. A setting to adjust the brightness of the screen would have been welcomed, especially during the day when the headlights are on and the screen is quite dim. Overall, the infotainment system wasn't fussy with my phone and didn't have a habit of being glitchy, it's also nice there are analogue buttons below to quickly change menus and settings if need be. Comfort is quite SUV-like in D-Max 3.0TD LSE.
Performance
Propelling the D-Max 3.0TD LSE is a 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine pushing out 140 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque. This is all paired to a 6-speed conventional automatic gearbox and the vehicle has a 4x2 format. The engine delivers power with gusto and doesn't feel sluggish on takeoff. It's enough to chirp tyres if you have a heavy foot but the powertrain is compliant enough with a gentle touch of the accelerator pedal. The automatic gearbox is programmed exceptionally well, picking up what kind of driving situation you're in and adapting to it. Perfect for around town and perfect for when you need power.
The D-Max employs a High Rider suspension where the front suspension is coil-over spring and the rear suspension is leaf spring over slung. You get a 232mm ground clearance. The D-Max 3.0TD LSE is well set up and capable of handling off and on-road duties without stressing itself. On the open road, the ride can be firm in some situations but is comfortable and requires minimal steering correction. The power steering is hydraulically powered with a heavier feel to it but is communicative at the same time. Unbraked towing capacity is 750kg and braked towing capacity is 3500kg.
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Fuel Economy
Claimed fuel consumption is 7.9 l/100km. In our test period, we got 9.9 l/100km.
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Safety
- ABS, EBD, ESP and traction control.
- Brake Assist System (BAS)
- Hill-Start Assist (HSA)
- Hill-Descent Control (HDC)
- Trailer Sway Control
- Brake-Override Accelerator (BOA)
- Cruise Control
- Height-Adjustable 3-Point Front Seatbelts with Pre-Tensioners
- Front and rear PDC with rear reverse camera.
We found the PDC to be a bit too sensitive in some situations, such as when heavy rain hits the sensors and detects it as an object in close proximity.
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Price
There are 23 versions of the Isuzu D-Max available to purchase. In the price list below, we will cover the Extended Cab pricing.
| Model | Price (incl. VAT) |
| Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD Extended cab | from R444 500 |
| Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD Extended cab L | from R459 800 |
| Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD Extended cab LS manual | from R489 000 |
| Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD Extended cab LS auto | from R508 700 |
| Isuzu D-Max 3.0TD Extended cab LSE | from R610 000 |
| Isuzu D-Max 3.0TD Extended cab LSE 4x4 | from R687 100 |
- 5 Years / 120 000 km Warranty and Roadside Assistance
- 5 Years / Unlimited km Anti-Corrosion Warranty
- 5 Years / 90 000 km Service Plan
Competitors
- Ford Ranger 2.2TDCi SuperCab
- Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 Xtra cab Legend
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Verdict
The Isuzu D-Max 3.0TD LSE is a cracking bakkie. It strikes a very good balance between comfort and back-to-bakkie basics while being a robust and dependable workhorse that doubles as a lovely urban cruiser too. Pair that with the D-Max being locally manufactured and it makes the deal all the more sweeter. If you need something practical that has some gusto to it, this is your bakkie.
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