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WHEN THE people from Isuzu NZ, and the local dealer, Manawatu Isuzu and Commercial, suggested testing the Isuzu D-Max Ute, I anticipated an interesting ride.
My memories of the old Rodeos were just that – a bucking ride. The advertising says it is the only ute made by a truck maker and so one assumes it may ride and handle like a truck. Not so. I was impressed by the ride comfort, handling and appointment of this good-looking machine.
Tested in LS Crewcab form, the 4WD rig came with a 20-inch wheel and tyre package that set the silver ute off. With a 3L diesel engine making 130kW at 3600rpm and 380 Newton metres torque, mated to a good 5-speed manual gearbox. It isn’t the most powerful ute on the market, but it has a lineal and usable power output that suits the machine. Not peaky like some new engines, this one will pull happily from 1500rpm in fifth gear with no grinding of componentry or transmission snatch.
Inside the cabin, the D-Max has good ergonomics, with all controls falling readily to hand. There is plenty of storage in the cabin with a good sized glovebox and a large shelf above it. The steering wheel has radio function buttons as well as cruise control fitted. The stereo has six speakers including roof mounts, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity.
Safety-wise this ute has six airbags, antilock braking, traction and stability control. Out back, the test rig sported a smart hard top cover that tilted up, or could be lifted to access the wellside.
Put through its paces on and off road, the Isuzu acquitted itself well, given the road-orientated tyres. An uphill climb with a lip at the top proved the ute’s undoing, but it was quite damp. Our companion vehicle with a clever traction control system and aggressive tyres managed the climb, but it shoveled a bit of stuff too.
The D-Max didn’t disgrace itself, especially given the wheel and tyre combo! The ute proved sure-footed on the road, whether sealed or not. Where the road has been widened and the seal is uneven, I did notice some tramlining.
We’d recently been in another model’s top range machine, a popular ute that was refurbished recently. We thought the overall ambience, performance and comfort of the D-Max was superior, as was the ride comfort, even with the big wheels.
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