The covers have come off the 2020 Isuzu D-Max, revealing one of this year’s most anticipated new utes at Bangkok. Isuzu’s D-Max ute has built an enviable following in Australia, due to its sturdy reliability and honest-to-goodness nature. Now an all-new, third-generation D-Max aims to build on that with fresh styling and a more sophisticated interior.
An all-new platform debuts underneath, with a double wishbone front suspension layout and a new warm press shot-peened manufacturing process for the rear leaf springs. This, says Isuzu, benefits ride and strength.
As before, a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is on offer, but power has been uprated to 140kW@ 3600rpm, while torque swells to 450Nm, between 1600 and 2600rpm.
The 2020 D-Max is now rated to 800mm of wading depth, with ground clearance increasing by 5mm to 240mm for dual-cab 4×4 variant.
Internally, the D-Max no longer looks like the pre-facelift Holden Colorado, with which it no longer shares a platform. A functional but modern interior follows the latest design trends with a 9.0-inch infotainment touch screen, a 4.2-inch display between the gauges and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
Steering now adjusts for reach as well as height, while rear passengers can now enjoy ventilation.
In a bid to maintain its five star ANCAP safety rating, the 2020 Isuzu D-Max adds some new safety features including rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot monitoring.
As previously announced, the next-generation Mazda BT-50 will borrow heavily from this new D-Max, with only minor styling changes expected. The extent of these will be apparent when Mazda reveals its version some time in the next 12 months.
This all-new D-Max model will no doubt be competitive against the best the segment has to offer, while also remaining one of the cheapest.
Sales remain very strong for a the current version- considering that it is near the end of its life cycle- but this could be due to Isuzu’s clever annual revisions based on customer feedback. Are you looking forward to the 2020 Isuzu D-Max? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
