ISUZU’s D-MAX is known for reliability, power, economy, and strength. Never for beauty. Until now.
When I first saw the DMAX 4×4 LS-E AT, I realized that it added more testosterones but exchanged the utilitarian, safer look for a bolder and less mainstream look. That doesn’t mean it has less brawn. I had just come from test driving the Mitsubishi Strada Athlete, which has a solid and muscular shape like it was chiseled out of stone. The D-MAX is slightly softer, yet still beefy enough to be called for cargo hauling jobs.
The vehicle I tested was the 2021 edition and it had nearly 10,000 kilometers on its odometer. That’s all fine because the more beat-up a test unit is, the better the feel of the test drive because usually after some punishment, the cracks and kinks come out.
Since I started from the outside, let me say that this Isuzu pickup is the latest iteration of the D-MAX, the third generation of this vehicle since Isuzu replaced the Fuego line. I had an illicit love affair with the Fuego. I drove it without permission from my dad whenever he was away. I’d pick up my friends and we’d drive to Cuenca, Batangas, or Pagbilao in Quezon at a time when there were no South Luzon Arterial Roads. That Fuego was a rare 4×4 with a smoky 2.0-liter 4BJ1 engine.
For this test drive, I asked these same friends to join me this time to Bauan in Batangas for the opening of the Cleanfuel station in Bauan, after which we drove to the rocky beaches along the Batangas Bay coast. Since this is a 4×4 I also considered traveling the backroads of Batangas via Lobo to Laiya but the heavy rains made doing that a little irresponsible, although I had full confidence in the D-MAX’s 3.0-liter turbodiesel motor that churns out 187 hp and 450 Nm of torque through its 6-speed automatic transmission.
The test unit I received was in white, there were other more spectacular colors like orange and a gussied-up glossy black. In white, though it appeared more solid and stronger because of the contrast of the black over fenders and footboards. There are just enough plasticky protrusions externally but it isn’t overstyled. It is aggressive enough without trying, like a body builder man not needing to wear a muscle shirt. It’s not overly aggressive either which is why I said, it will win in a beauty contest.
The body of the D-MAX is unassailable, design-wise. The LED headlight that cut into the front grill with that sharp and edgy slant, the rear taillights are as upright as a pickup should and the 240mm ground clearance is tall enough to clear most obstacles, yet low enough to still decently board and disembark from the truck. However, the wheel design is a little on the luxury side, lacking the grittiness of the previous model so on that point, I assail it. It will look better on the Mazda equivalent of the vehicle (it shares the fundamentals with the Mazda BT-50) but the D-MAX demands more grunt in its design. I believe that with chunkier wheels this However, you do get 240 mm of ground clearance. You even get full under chassis protection in case you find yourself on the trails.
I know that this 3rd generation body was first introduced globally in 2019 just before the pandemic hit. It came to the Philippines in 2021, just as the COVID restrictions were slowly going down. So, technically the 2022 model is not even a rehash of the 2021 version but simple with more refinement inside. Let’s see how refined later.
I might have told this in my test drives before, and I will say it again. My mother is perpetually seasick. This is why her favorite spot in the car is the front and her favorite speed are 30 in the city and 70 on the highway. She also hates a bouncy car and especially my dad’s Fuego traveling at speed, which she considers to be a form of torture. Thus it was surprising when she commented that the D-MAX was comfortable and “not bouncy.”
All that is partly because of the Isuzu Dynamic Drive Platform (now called the Symmetric Mobility Platform) which offers a more rigid chassis but with the revised suspension systems the upward forces not transferred to the occupants. In the cross-section of the ladder frame, and the locations of the cross members offer better weight and therefore shock distribution. This makes for a more rigid yet lighter and stiffer frame. When you pop open the hood one can notice that the engine has been moved slightly behind the front axle for better weight distribution which also translates to better suspension action.
The 3.0-liter engine cranked out an immense amount of power with five plump adults on board and some camping gear heading for Batangas and four sacks of dinorado rice from Mindoro going back didn’t hamper the lively performance of the 3.0-liter engine. Both the automatic transmission and the turbocharger are properly synched and paired correctly to deliver what it should–low torque at start followed by a bump and leap into the higher gears. Even on 4H, the power delivery is the same.
That power steering motor isn’t on full assist both on 4H and 4L because a weightier steering on the slippery stuff is necessary feedback to the driver. On road however, the steering feels light still with feedback. In parking it is completely devoid of weight making it an easy job to twist and turn those large 19-inch wheels. Overall handling is excellent.
And because I committed to paying for the fuel so my busy friends can spend the weekend with me, I am happy that the DMAX delivered 10.5 kilometers per liter even with the twistiness and inclines headed to Bauan. I measured about 7 to 8 km/L driving through traffic-laden Sta. Rosa to Calamba via the Manila South Road.
I left the discussion for the interiors last because according to psychologists it leaves the most impact or retains the most important message. And that message is the Isuzu DMAX 4×4 LS-E AT’s interiors are so far the best in the pick-up trucks I’ve tried. There are no emphatic two-tone seats or heavy baseball stitching. It’s just a clean set-up with a large 10-inch infotainment screen, properly located aircon vents–and kudos for the rear vents with a USB jack right there. The brown leather treatment is subdue, not contrasting. Chrome bits are few and the silver finished trims don’t look or feel aftermarket. All the plastics throughout have enough firmness and texture.
The price tag on this beauty is P1.825M. It’s a worthy (and less springy) competitor versus the Toyota Hilux, a prettier one than the Navara, sports a brawnier look versus the Mazda BT-150, and more elegant versus the Ford Ranger.
