Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain: Quickspin

Over the past few years, the Isuzu D-MAX has built a solid following to bring it from humble beginnings to be now the third-best-selling ute on the market behind the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

The D-MAX’s reputation was built on reliability, robust construction and a knockabout, rough-and-tumble reputation as the ute to have for some heavy lifting, be it at work or play.

The D-MAX has been considered the go-to ute for many people who want to get out and about – be it in the bush, towing or at work.

But in the latest update, the D-MAX seemed to go up-market. The blue-collar image appears to have faded to a lighter shade. Our last Isuzu Ute on test, the 4x2 SX Trayback, notwithstanding, the D-MAX seems to have gone softer.

The latest incarnation has more bells and whistles, more pretty colours and more add-ons, just as we found with the latest addition, the X-Terrain.

The X-Terrain is the top-of-the-heap when it comes to D-MAX. It offers all the features that top-spec offerings from Ford and Toyota have and maybe a bit more in some areas, so we were keen to try it out and see if all those features had softened the original D-MAX – or just made it better…

What don’t you get would be a more appropriate question. The X-Terrain is loaded with goodies that start with a full leather interior, seat heaters for those chilly mornings and electric adjustment for the front seats.

The steering column is adjustable for tilt and reach so it’s easy for the driver to get comfortable, no matter what your size or shape.

Sitting in the centre of the dash is a new nine-inch high-definition infotainment system, featuring voice recognition, in-built sat-nav, DAB radio, and the latest in smartphone mirroring with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.

A new 4.2-inch central information display gives vehicle data such as a digital speedo, fuel data, current speed zone and sat-nav directions.

There’s also a high-end eight-speaker surround sound system and dual-zone air-conditioning, with rear passengers also benefiting from rear air vents.

Outside, the X-Terrain features exclusive dark grey 18-inch metallic alloys, front and rear underbody spoilers, fender flares, aero sports bar, under-rail tub liner and matt-black roller tonneau, as well as a unique paint finish.

Our vehicle was finished in a rather fetching blue metallic which looked fantastic, although I couldn’t help feeling that it might suffer a bit on those tight bush tracks.

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The Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain comes standard with the company’s Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS). This is an advanced suite of driver safety and assistance technologies, which Isuzu says has elevated the D-MAX range to one of the safest vehicles on Australian roads.

Using a state-of-the-art 3D camera that actively detects other motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, the D-MAX X-Terrain features the latest in autonomous, active and passive safety features.

Headlining the list of standard IDAS technologies is autonomous emergency braking with Turn Assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, and eight-airbags, the latter including a first-in-class centre airbag.

One of the things that people like about the D-MAX is that it’s built with Isuzu’s commercial truck DNA. Isuzu recently upgraded the venerable 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine (4JJ3-TCX), which is now generating 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque. It’s not the most modern of turbo-diesel powerplants but it is nothing if not honest and reliable.

The 3.0-cylinder mill has now been uprated to Euro 5 but we’re one of the last markets to take it, with other markets getting the more modern twin-turbo engine which we’ll see soon.

The engine is mated to an intuitive six-speed automatic transmission, with dual-range Terrain Command 4x4. The transfer case has a new electronic actuator, that speeds up the shift from 2-High to 4-High at speeds of up to 100km/h in less than a second.

Switching from 4-High to 4-Low also takes just under a second, we’re told, a huge improvement over the preceding system that took upwards of two seconds to engage.

The D-MAX now also features a rear electromagnetic diff-lock which is operated by a button on the centre console. And for the off-road enthusiast, the X-Terrain has a sizeable 240mm of ground clearance and an 800mm wading depth, which is up there with the best in class.

Boasting a GVM capacity of 3100kg, a GCM capacity of 5950kg and 3.5-tonne towing capacity, the X-Terrain also has a hefty amount of load-carrying ability.

Despite the restrictions of COVID, we were able to do quite a few kilometres in the D-MAX X-Terrain over the time we had it. Needless to say, the comfort levels were good, and especially so for a ute. It seems that Isuzu Ute has done some homework on the suspension and it’s paid off.

We took the X-Terrain for a good squirt on some dirt roads and it really came up trumps.

The ride and handling over the dirt sections was terrific. There was none of the usual bump-steer that you usually get from an unladen ute and it tracked true and straight at all times.

The steering was precise and the suspension soaked up the bumps and potholes without any drama at all. Damping felt surprisingly good too.

On the bitumen it was a similar story. Ride and handling were really above par for a ute. The electric steering is direct and it's speed sensitive, so it’s lighter at lower speed and loads up as the speed increases to give a bit more ‘feel’. It's 3.8 turns of the steering wheel lock-to-lock.

One thing I did find was that the driver assistance features like the lane departure warning and active lane keeping were a bit intrusive and a bit too sensitive. Hell, I even had the AEB kick in once when I was in full control of the vehicle.

I think they could be dialled down a bit or drivers will keep them all turned off, which defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

But on the highway it is a great tourer. It ambles along at low revs at cruising speeds and it’s quiet, much quieter than the 4x2 trayback we tested, and it’s very comfortable.

In terms of economy, the X-Terrain is a winner. On a tour we got 8.1 litres/100kms and even around town, it wasn’t much worse. That’s pretty close to what Isuzu Ute is quoting and it should give a theoretical range of around 940 kilometres from the 76-litre tank.

Ah, the elephant in the room. As we mentioned at the start, Isuzu Ute made its mark by being reliable, tough and that little bit more affordable than the heavies like Toyota and Ford.

In fact, when the X-Terrain was launched in September 2020, its list price was $62,900 plus on-road costs. Now it has jumped up to $63,900 plus on-roads.

That’s a fair bit of loot but not quite up there with the dearest, sitting a bit higher than the Ford Ranger XLT though not quite as high as the Wildtrak, or a bit more than a Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 but not as much as a HiLux Rogue. In that sense, it could still be seen as affordable but the margin is getting slimmer.

Isuzu ute is offering a six-year, 150,000km warranty and up to seven years of roadside assistance if you get your servicing done through an Isuzu Ute dealer. Also, there's capped-price servicing for the first seven services, and all that adds up to a comparatively good deal.

Specifications: Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain

Axles
Front: Independent 4x4: fully floating with outer CV, inner double offset joints and equal length driveshafts. Rating: 1450kg
Rear: Rigid semi-floating banjo with hypoid final drive and dual tapered needle roller bearings. Rating: 1910kg

Brakes
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Traction Control System (TCS), Rollover Mitigation, Hill Start Assist (HSA), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Trailer Sway Control (TSC).
Front: 320mm dia. ventilated discs with two-piston calipers
Rear: 295mm drums

Weights
GVM: 3100kg
GCM: 5950kg
Payload: 970kg
Max towing weight: 3500kg
Towball weight: 350kg
Fuel: 76 litres