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D-Max – A Durable Partner

July 29, 2010 by NYC
Filed under: Reviews

The ball first started rolling when Ford brought in the Courier crew-cab pickup. From there onwards, almost all the following 4-door pickup trucks came standard with 4×4 capability. Sure, Toyota had a 4×2 Hilux, so did Ford and recently Nissan’s Frontier Calibre, but all of them only came with automatic transmission. The Mitsubishi Triton Lite is good, but lacked height, limiting itself to ‘proper’ roads. Furthermore, most privately owned pickups never get off the tarmac, which defeats the purpose of having a 4×4 but retains its higher maintenance cost.

The D-Max has been around for a couple of years now. Many northern readers might recognize it as it is very well accepted across the border. Compared to the Hilux or Triton, this sits closer to the ground thus making it look a bit wider. Recently it underwent a nip-and-tuck, giving it a meaner look via ‘fanged’ chromed grill. Nonetheless it still retains the utilitarian truck appearance unlike some competitors which opted to be softer in the looks department.

Step into the cabin and it is the same story. The dashboard is a tad slab-sided and made of hard plastics. Only the center console is coated in silver above the all grey panels. Even the switches and knobs are down-to-earth yet feel sturdy enough under the rough hands of construction guys. Nothing wrong really once you think of it more of a work horse instead of a civilized family truck for the long haul. Even so, I did find some comforting items. For starters, there is the ease of entry. Low riders aside, it is not much different than boarding a Toyota Unser (of course having side steps do help a lot more). Secondly, rear passenger entrance and leg-space is not bad even though it does loose out to the trendier Triton. I personally liked the rear passenger seats compared to the more up right but newer Navara.

Despite having 2499cc of turbo-charged diesel power, ‘urgency’ is not in its vocabulary with power ratings of 79PS at 3900rpm, or 176Nm of torque at 1800rpm. Isuzu however is harping over the usage of timing gear, melt-in cylinder liners, and chain for maximum durability. Without a front transaxle and transfer case but with a manual gear, it was proven to be very fuel efficient. A few years back, Isuzu Malaysia ran a standard 2.5cc unit from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, then to Sungai Petani, Kedah, then finally back to the capital in a single tank. The whole journey covered over 1400km from no more than 76 liters of diesel. This feat was confirmed by AAM.

On the road, it rides quite well for a pickup on a step ladder chassis. Of course speed-bumps are best treated with respect considering that the rear sits on leaf suspension. While I may have only driven the Frontier and L200 Storm previously, there is noticeably less body roll around the corners or during cross-winds. The power however was disappointing. As mentioned before, both engine and gear changes had to be worked especially at the green lights. Safety wise, Isuzu Malaysia fitted it with driver’s air bag, anti-intrusion beams in all doors, wheel stoppers, collapsible steering column with safety crushable zones.

At the end of the day, I glanced at the brochure. It had the words ‘reliable’, ‘fuel efficient’ and ‘durable’ which was repeated on and on in the online version. Perhaps it is true in a time when we become too engrossed by looks, and judging from the amount of recent recalls from car makers, without knowingly sacrifice quality and reliability. Therefore, the 2.5 D-Max priced just a shy below RM74K might not only be the answer for commercial vehicle owners but also worth a second look for private owners as well.