Dressed to impress: 2021 Isuzu D-Max 3.0 4x4 LS-E AT

Before, whenever the Isuzu D-Max was compared with the rest of the competition, you would never hear the words "sporty," "sleek" or
"powerful." The D-Max, as we knew it, had been synonymous with reliable and rugged workhorses and would more likely be your dad or uncle’s dream car.

The Isuzu D-Max has always been about blue-collar reliability. No matter the iteration or trim, being fashionable and lifestyle-oriented was the last thing Isuzu wanted the D-Max to be.

But the writing has long been on the wall for Isuzu, as the new wave of the local truck wars has anything but cooled down. The brand needed a change and while the no-nonsense character may have worked for Isuzu in the past, offerings from the rest have stepped their game up — offering buyers with amazing eye-watering features and technology as well as performance and new levels of ruggedness.

Enter the 2021 Isuzu D-Max it's now dressed to impress, while still having all the ruggedness fans look for in an Isuzu.

Exterior

Beginning with the exterior, the biggest change that you will find is that imposing front grill. Whatever you think of the "vampire grille," the D-Max body has also undergone a number of significant changes. It's all-new, which means it's got a fresh look that's more modern, macho-looking, and streamlined while still being instantly recognizable as an Isuzu.

It now has angry, bi-LED headlamps with integrated daytime running lights on this top trim to give it a sense of character never before seen on a D-Max. Isuzu has managed to shorten the length of the D-Max by 30mm, but amazingly D-Max models now have a longer wheelbase to help give them more stability. Not much can be said about the side profile of the 2021 D-Max apart from the more modern character lines that run across the door handles and the lower part that give it a more modern look. 

What’s creating much of a stir are those 18-inch alloy wheels shod in 265/60/R18 all-terrain tires. It is as polarizing as you can get with multi-spoke accents that augment the more dominant six spokes. I wouldn’t call them unattractive; just different. On this top-of-the-line LS-E model in Isuzu’s signature Onyx Black color, it does fit it perfectly. 

It rides pretty high with a ground clearance of 240mm, making it capable of wading through 800mm of flood water. I wouldn’t try that out myself, but I’m glad that in a pinch, the Isuzu D-Max will not let you down.

I’d say that on the outside, the 2021 Isuzu D-Max is an absolute beast of a machine. It certainly looks quite imposing and fits the modern macho look it aims to achieve.

Interior

Isuzu was able to refresh the 2021 Isuzu D-Max looks on the outside, but how does it fair on the inside? If you’re looking for Isuzu to ditch its spartan charm for something more modern, then, I am happy to report that the brand has taken strides in their interior game.

In fact, the 2021 Isuzu D-Max gives the impression that it has taken more than a step in the right direction. The design engineers must have taken a look at the previous model’s interior and decided to trash it and go in a completely different direction. The entire cabin, especially on this top of the line LS-E model, has been completely overhauled and reworked with proper leather seats that are much more aggressively bolstered than any other truck I’ve seen in the market.

The driver side has power-adjustable settings up to eight ways, and finding your perfect driving position is easy thanks to the fully adjustable steering wheel.

Speaking of the steering wheel, the design has also been reworked and is uncharacteristically youthful for the brand. It has all the control buttons for you to power your media without taking your hand off the wheels as well as others to set various safety and driving settings. 

The dashboard of the D-Max is eye-catching with soft-touch materials as well as on the door panels. You will certainly find a few tricks up its sleeve for convenience. For example, there are two pop-out cup holders on the edges to keep your drinks cool by blowing cold air on them, a pop-up opening on the top of the dash to stash anything in there as a double glove box. 

The instrument cluster is also plenty sporty but is pretty recessed, far away from the steering wheel and the thing white font might take some getting used to. At least the needles are red, because, well, you gotta have the red to be sporty.

Passengers at the back can also enjoy their own separate air vents for those hot summer days. There is plenty of space all around and Isuzu claims that each door can each fit a 1.5-liter bottle of your choice of beverage. 

What really takes the cake is this massive, almost iPad-like 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It is very intuitive and responsive with little lag as it should be and has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for you to access various driving apps from your phone. This powers an impressive eight-speaker array that surrounds the cabin with theater-like quality sound. There are even speakers on the dome right above the driver and front passenger to complete the surround experience.

What I don't particularly love about the center stack is the lack of physical buttons to control the infotainment system. Instead, you get these capacitive buttons which is certainly not ideal. At least the dual-zone automatic climate control switches are there to provide satisfying feedback.

Safety

If there is one thing that the 2021 D-Max has improved upon over the previous generation is safety. With a total of seven airbags, the top-of-the-line LS-E trim also has what Isuzu calls Advanced Driver Assist System, highlighted by a Smart 3D Duo Cam mounted on the base of the rearview mirror.

This allows the 2021 Isuzu D-Max to have various advanced safety systems like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic high beam, parking assist and blind spot monitoring.  The most notable of these features is auto emergency braking (AEB) that operates at speeds above 10kph. There's also mis-acceleration monitoring to prevent lower-speed collisions. The AEB system includes pedestrian and bicycle tracking at all speeds, as well as forward crash warning.

This system can certainly be felt, especially on our congested roads and can be quite jarring at first but it’s nice to know that the system is there to have your back.

Performance and fuel economy

The 2021 Isuzu D-Max is really shaping up to be a legitimate contender to the throne with its modern looks, interior design, and safety amenities. The question is, how does it drive? Quite well, in fact.

Under the hood of this model, you’ll find a much-improved three-liter diesel engine that makes 187hp at 3,600rpm and 450Nm of torque as early as 1,600rpm. That’s about a 6% increase in power and an 18% increase in torque over the previous model.

The old hydraulic steering mechanism has been replaced by an electronic steering system, making the action much lighter and more driver-friendly than before.  It no longer feels like a tractor; instead actually feels more car-like.

In most cases, the suspension is set to be subtle and well-sorted, but there are still some telltale signs of its hard-working roots. Without a load on board, there are some jitters from the rear end, but it's not quite as jarring as the previous one, and it's among the strongest utes in the segment for unladen ride comfort.

I was hoping for a bit more grunt off the line from the three-liter common rail direct injection engine with variable geometry turbo but it felt quite lacking at first but once you get to speed though, the 2021 D-Max just advances with much gusto. I lay the blame on the six-speed automatic transmission. It seems to be too eager to keep the car in the torque sweet spot than at city speeds, it seems a bit confused.  At least the NVH levels are good enough, although, being a diesel you still can feel the distinct rattle from the engine from time to time.

It has a transfer control switch that works with the rear aluminum drive shaft but only the LS model with a manual comes with an electronic-locking differential which may prove a disadvantage for the LS-E model. I bet that 95% of us never take our trucks off road anyway, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Fuel economy is rated at 7kpl in the city and 12kpl on the highway, which isn’t bad, considering that you’re bringing a big hulking truck around town.

Conclusion

Is the all-new lifestyle oriented D-Max ready to take on the challenge of the likes of the Sport-oriented Ford Ranger Raptor, Rugged Toyota Hilux Conquest, the Gundam-like Nissan Navara as well as competition from the funky Mitsubishi Strada and Chevrolet Colorado?

Knowing Isuzu, it has its own rabid fanbase similar to those of Honda or even Toyota. If there is one thing that the brand needs is new blood flocking through those dealership doors.

SPECIFICATIONS
Make and Model	Isuzu D-Max 3.0 4x4 LS-E AT
Year Introduced	2021
Vehicle Classification	Mid-Sized Pick-up Truck
Warranty	5 years / 200,000 kilometers
Under the Hood
Model	4JJ3-TCX
Type	3-liter inline-4 Turbodiesel with VGS
Power	187 hp @ 3,600 RPM
Torque	450 Nm @ 1,600 - 2,600 RPM
Fuel Capacity	76 Liters
Transmission	6-Speed AT with Sequential Shift
Drive	4WD
Tested Fuel Economy City	7 km/l
Tested Fuel Economy Highway	12 km/l
Chassis
Brakes	F - Ventilated Discs; R - Drum
Front Suspension	F - Double Wishbone Independent Coil Spring; R- Leaf Spring
Wheelbase	3,125 mm
Wheels	18-inch
Tires	265/60/r18 All-Terrain
Dimensions
Length	5,277 mm
Width	1,880 mm
Height	1,810 mm
Ground Clearance	240 mm
Gross Weight	2,600 kg
Exterior
Headlamps	Bi-LED Projector Type
Foglamps	Yes; LED
Side Mirrors	Power-adjustable and folding with Turn Signals
Daytime Running Lamps	Yes
Body Kit	Yes; Over fenders, Front Bumper Guard, Roof Rails
Interior
Instrument Gauge Cluster	Traditional with 4.2-inch multi-display
Infotainment System	10.1-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Adjustable Steering	Yes; Tilt and Telescopic
Passengers	5
Power Adjustable Seats	Yes - Driver Side
A/C System	Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control with rear vents
Steering Controls	Yes
Speakers	8
Interior Material	Leather
USB ports	Yes
Power Sockets	Yes; 12V
Safety
Airbags	Yes; 7 airbags
ABS with EBD and Brake Assist	Yes
Traction Control	Yes
Stability Control	Yes
Hill-Start Assist	Yes
Hill-Descent Control	Yes
Seatbelts	F - 3-point with pre-tensioner; R - 3 point, fixed
Rear Defogger	Yes
Remote Start	Yes
Immobilizer	Yes
Forward Collision Warning	Yes
Autonomous Emergency Braking	Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control	Yes; with speed limiter
Automatic Headlamp Levelling	Yes
Lane Departure Warning	Yes with Blind-spot monitoring
Rear Cross Traffic Alert	Yes
Parking Assist	Yes
Price
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Photos by Roy Robles