|
|
|
|
06/04/2009
By EWAN KENNEDY
|
|
|
Though all but unknown in Australia until late 2009, the Isuzu D-Max is already becoming a recognised part of the local ute and pickup scene. Built in Thailand with specifications tailored to the Australian conditions and drivers desires, the D-Max is being imported by a new Queensland based company called IUA (Isuzu UTE Australia).
 Queensland is the number-one market for utes in Australia, hence the decision to operate IUA from Brisbane rather than the more common choice of Melbourne or Sydney by other automotive importers.
The Isuzu D-Max is not quite as new as it seems, having been sold here for many years under the badge of Holden Rodeo. A squabble between Isuzu and GM in the USA saw Holden losing the rights to the Rodeo name, so it is now called the Holden Colorado.
IUA concentrates purely on importing, selling and servicing Isuzu utes. This lets it hold prices down and equipment levels up, as well as keeping its product knowledge high from a technical viewpoint. The fact that the Japanese Isuzu company has a very long history in trucks is another big plus.
Arguably the most impressive feature of the new Isuzu D-Max is its overall refinement, particularly its seat comfort. We've driven many passenger cars with seats that were far less supportive and comfortable than these Isuzu units. Many utes and light commercials can be pretty awful in this department as designers do everything they can to trim the cost of their vehicles. This is a deliberate ploy; as mentioned IUA is a lean and mean operation so is able to put extra money into specifying high-grades from the factory.
 An excellent soundproofing package gives the Isuzu a sound and feel that's almost car like. A long day’s drive in one of these vehicles will leave you feeling a lot fresher than you might anticipate.
D-Max’s 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is a modern common rail unit. In true truck fashion it produces its best torque of 360 Nm all the way from 1800 to 2800 rpm when teamed with a five-speed manual gearbox. The four-speed automatic is slightly detuned to 333 Nm as it can’t quite cope with the full 360 Nm. A benefit of that lower torque is that the peak torque starts even lower, and goes further up the rev range. It runs from 1600 rpm to 3200.
We have road tested two D-Max utes in the last week, both had the manual gearbox and were happy to slog along at low revs with no real fuss when asked to do so.
Fuel usage was typically in the seven to eight litres per hundred kilometres range when running on motorways and easy roads, and didn’t rise much over nine litres in commuting and suburban running. IUA is making a big play of the fact that its vehicles are more economical on fuel, by officially measured figures, than almost all its competitors.
Transmission can be by rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. In a clever move, both vehicles have the same ride height, thus not only giving the 4x2 plenty of rough site ability, but also endowing it with a macho appearance. In today’s ute market tough looks are an important feature.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning (not always a given in this market segment), ABS brakes, dual front airbags in all except the EX variant which only has a driver’s airbag, and a limited-slip rear differential. Underneath the 4x4 models is a steel guard for the sump that was specially designed for Australian conditions.
Isuzu D-Max has a carrying capacity of around 1.1 tonnes. This varies, of course, with the mass of the body fitted.
 At this stage body types are single-cab and dual-cab, others may come later, including an extended cab. Perhaps even a station wagon, though this isn't looking likely in these harsh economic times.
Alone in the one-tonne, conventional-cab class, the Isuzu D-Max chassis wheelbase is longer for cab-chassis variants than its ute stablemates. At 3200 mm, it’s a substantial 150 mm extra and is the class longest, as is its cab-to-axle dimension in both single and crew cabs, for optimal body length, fit and load balance. Showing its truck heritage, Isuzu recognises the potential imbalance of excessive load area rear overhang and so shortens its crew cab rear chassis by 120 mm. Thus its overhang is only 50 percent longer than its cab-to-axle length compared to the 92 – 122 percent of its major competitors.
Both our test vehicles had the dual-cab bodies, one with a tray behind it the other with a pickup rear end. The latter had an interesting new design of folding soft-tonneau that is so well braced it almost looks like a hardtop. Except that it doesn’t have the unyielding nature of a hardtop that can make it such a nuisance when you want to carry bulky loads. This soft cover hasn’t been confirmed for Australia at this stage. It's such a good idea that we will be surprised if it doesn’t appear on the options’ list soon. Contact your local IUA dealer for updates.
The complete Isuzu D-Max range, with prices (excluding on-road costs) is:
SX single cab 4x2 cab chassis: $24,6300 (manual)
SX crew cab 4x2 ute: $29,900 (manual)
LS crew cab 4x2 ute: $35,600 (manual), $38,100 (automatic)
EX single cab 4x4 cab chassis: $29,100 (manual)
SX single cab 4x4 cab chassis: $33,300 (manual)
SX crew cab 4x4 cab chassis: $38,000 (manual)
LS-M crew cab 4x4 ute: $40,000 (manual), $42,000 (automatic)
LS-U crew cab 4x4 ute: $41,800 (manual), $43,800 (automatic) |
|
|
|
|
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
