2022 Isuzu D-Max

Standard equipment on the D-Max SX includes:

• 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto
• 4.2-inch trip computer display
• Cloth upholstery
• Manual air-conditioning
• 17-inch steel wheels

Moving to the LS-M brings:

• ‘High-grade’ cloth upholstery
• Rear USB connector
• Rear parking sensors
• Seat back pockets
• Fold-down central armrest
• Six-speaker audio system
• Bi-LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• Body-coloured mirrors
• 17-inch alloy wheels

Jumping to the LS-U adds:

• 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, factory satellite navigation
• Keyless entry and start
• Factory-fitted tow bar receiver
• Tub liner (ute models)
• Rear parking sensors
• Powered lumbar support for driver’s seat
• Leather-trimmed gear knob
• Soft-touch door trim
• Soft central armrest lid
• Vanity mirrors for driver, passenger
• Carpet flooring
• Side steps
• LED rear lights
• 18-inch alloy wheels

The LS-U+ gains:

• Leather-accented seats
• Black interior trim highlights
• Heated front seats
• Eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
• Heated door mirrors
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

Finally, the range-topping X-Terrain packs:

• Front parking sensors
• Leather-accented seats
• Heated front seats
• Factory-fitted tow bar
• Red and black interior accents
• Vanity mirror lights
• Remote engine start
• Eight-speaker sound system
• Unique exterior trim
• 18-inch black-finish alloy wheels

The 2022 D-Max range will be offered in eight colours. All except Mineral White come at a $500 premium.

• Mineral White
• Basalt Black mica
• Cobalt Blue mica
• Mercury Silver metallic
• Obsidian Grey metallic
• Marble White pearl (LS-U, LS-U+, X-Terrain)
• Magnetic Red mica (LS-U, LS-U+, X-Terrain)
• Volcanic Amber metallic (X-Terrain)

The D-Max is backed by a six-year, 150,000km warranty, and comes with seven years of roadside assist.

Maintenance for the D-Max is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

The first seven years of servicing will cost you a combined $3513 in 3.0-litre models and $3223 in 1.9-litre models.

With the 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the D-Max is torquey and tractable. It pairs wonderfully with the six-speed auto, which ably keeps it in its torque band and shifts smoothly.

There’s also a lack of turbo lag, while peak torque comes on tap at just 1600rpm and sticks around until 2600rpm.

There’s the typically gruff diesel ute soundtrack under acceleration, but at cruising speeds it’s pleasant. Wind and road noise are kept largely in check, even at highway speeds.

The electrically-assisted steering is pleasantly light and car-like without feeling vague. It’s a boon in tighter urban confines, and the D-Max feels more manoeuvrable than rivals with hydraulic set-ups. The steering also feels secure even as speeds increase.

The D-Max’s ride quality is among the best in the segment, with the usual ladder-frame ute jiggles kept to a minimum even with an empty tub. Those jiggles are further quelled when you put even a small load back there.

At high speeds on unsealed roads, the D-Max has a comfortable, sure-footed ride, even with an empty tub.

The blind-spot monitoring works well and is absolutely welcome, particularly in a segment where this feature remains rare.

The lane-keep assist isn’t too obtrusive, while the adaptive cruise control also performs admirably. You can also adjust the sensitivity of some of these systems, including the forward collision warning.

What’s most impressive about the D-Max is that the steering, ride quality and noise levels don’t get noticeably worse as your speeds get higher, meaning this is a comfortable highway cruiser.

Overall, the capable powertrain, light steering and mostly well-behaved ride makes this one of the better utes to drive.

There are a range of genuine accessories you can option on the D-Max including a bull bar, snorkel, electronic brake controller, and wireless phone charger among others.

Just like many of its ute competitors, Isuzu is facing extensive delays on its D-Max due to its high demand.

Plenty of buyers are still waiting for their 2021 D-Max to arrive from the factory in Thailand, and could be waiting well into 2022.

Isuzu announced earlier in 2021 that anyone who ordered their car before July 31 will have their price locked in, even if the price of the 2022 car delivered has jumped.

The dual-cab Isuzu D-Max has a tub that measures 1570mm long, 1530mm wide and 490mm tall. There's 1122mm between the two rear wheel arches.

The D-Max competes in the hotly-contested 4x2 and 4x4 ute classes in Australia, going head-to-head with the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, and Nissan Navara. It also takes on the mechanically identical Mazda BT-50.

In 2021, Isuzu sold 6478 4x2 D-Max models and 18,639 4x4 D-Max models.

As the second top-selling 4x2 ute, the D-Max was only outsold by the 4x2 versions of the HiLux (13,214 sales). It beat out the 4x2 versions of the Ford Ranger (4293 sales) and Mazda BT-50 (2876).

It was the third top-selling 4x4 ute, outsold by the 4x4 versions of the Ford Ranger (45,986 sales) and Toyota HiLux (39,587 sales).

Combining these two figures together, the D-Max (25,117 sales) was outsold by the HiLux (52,801 ) and the Ford Ranger (50,279 ).

The D-Max remains one of the best workhorses in its class, and deserves its newfound popularity across the market, even if those price hikes strike me as cheeky at best.

That said, once there are plenty of V6 diesel, full-time-AWD-toting Rangers hitting the road this year with their oversized portrait touchscreens, the D-Max might feel in need of a larger-scale facelift before long.

For the first two D-Max generations, Isuzu and General Motors jointly developed utes together.

You'll most likely remember the Holden Rodeo and Holden Colorado which shared the same underpinnings as the first- and second-generation D-Max models, respectively.