Isuzu D-Max Review 2025

As the Isuzu D-Max has enjoyed had a loyal following with those who need a hardworking truck to justify its investment, it's a brand less affected by company car tax changes than other pick-up manufacturers. Its appeal as a utilitarian, go-anywhere truck makes it a popular choice, with farmers, utility companies and professional towing services — read our full Isuzu D-Max review to find out if it's also the right choice for you.

Introduced in January 2025 the latest version of the Isuzu D-Max is now sporting its second facelift since this generation of pickup was introduced in 2021. The first makeover in 2023 pushed the D-Max a little further upmarket as it filled the utility-led lifestyle-oriented gap in the market vacated by the Mitsubishi L200 when it went off sale.

This most recent makeover is a tad more thorough, most notably to the front end with a taller bonnet, sharper headlights and a revised bumper among the visual enhancements. The raft of improvements continue inside with a heavily revised infotainment system and a new digital instrument cluster.

Safety hasn't been overlooked with the D-Max now being equipped with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist and traffic sign recognition. Enough to help earn the Isuzu D-Max a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

Mechanically it remains largely unchanged from its predecessor, with just the one engine choice — a 1.9-litre diesel unit that punches well above its weight, equipped with either manual or automatic gearboxes, each with six speeds. All versions have a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes.

In range-topping V-Cross trim the Isuzu D-Max is both very well-equipped and good value. That's difficult to ignore when rivals such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux are more expensive when compared spec-for-spec. It's the same story when the utilitarian D-Max DL20 and DL40 models are compared with rivals.

There’s a choice of a variety of different cab types depending on whether you need to prioritise load or passenger space, plus a bare chassis model ideal for drop-side or tipper conversions.

Only the entry-level Isuzu D-Max is available without four-wheel drive. The rest come with 4x4 as standard, giving this truck genuinely impressive off-road ability, helped by features such as the low-range gearbox and Hill Descent Control.

A rear-differential lock is now standard on all manual 4x4 models in the range, along with a rough road setting, which reduces the intrusion of the D-Max’s traction control. This can still be fully disabled if required but in rough road setting it works intelligently to work out the level of assistance needed. We tried it in very slippery conditions — on road-biased tyres — and it proved itself to be a clever piece of kit.

While the Isuzu D-Max's four-cylinder engine might not sound especially beefy for a truck of this size, it punches well above its weight. In the highest power output it pulls well and doesn’t feel at all out of its depth, though the engine noise can be intrusive at higher revs.

The six-speed manual gearbox is pleasant enough to use although first gear is a low ratio, which helps with towing and off-road use — you’ll need to change up to second quickly in regular use. The six-speed automatic gearbox's ratios are well-spaced, with a top gear that provides a refined and relaxed cruising experience. Shame that it feels slow off the mark when accelerating from a standstill.

On the road, the Isuzu D-Max is comfortable and easy-to-drive despite its bulk, the biggest difference in the latest model being changes to the rear leaf springs — these now give a much softer and more complaint ride than they did in pre-facelift form. It has decent handling for a pickup of this type with far better body control than it used to have.

All models come with Autonomous Emergency Braking, traffic jam assist and an intelligent speed limiter which detects the speed limit and encourages you to stick to it. Isuzu uses a twin-camera stereo setup to power these systems, claiming it to be quicker and more reliable than radar-based alternatives.

That said, Isuzu D-Max double-cab models are fitted with radar that can detect obstacles to the rear of the truck, with a blind-spot monitor, emergency lane-keeping and rear cross-traffic alert. Buy one with the automatic gearbox and it'll get adaptive cruise control and a clever pedal misapplication mitigation feature — this will prevent you from being involved in a low-speed clash by accidentally hitting the accelerator rather than the brake.

Overall, the Isuzu D-Max is a great pick-up that has a utilitarian nature but is far from crudely finished. Multi-purpose and versatile, it’s very difficult to ignore if you’re looking for a lifestyle-oriented business vehicle that offers as much as its key rivals but with a great warranty, superb value for money and a reputation for reliable longevity that few others can match.

The Isuzu D-Max comes with three main bodystyle choices: single cab, extended cab and double cab. The single cab is the one to go for if a big load bay is more important than carrying passengers — it provides a load length of up to 2315mm, while there are just two seats in the cabin. It’s a very popular vehicle with farmers as a result, not least because of its 3500kg towing capacity.

The extended cab reduces the load length to 1805mm, while there are folding rear seats in the cab which are ideal for occasional use.

The majority of Isuzu D-Max buyers go for the double cab, which is surprisingly spacious and luxurious, especially in V-Cross trim.

Up front it has a high seating position and plenty of shoulder and elbow room. In flagship V-Cross trim the Isuzu D-Max is extremely well-appointed with heated leather seats and a new 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen display that integrates with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There are plenty of storage areas including a cubby in the central armrest, two gloveboxes and a total of 10 cupholders. It's surprising how different a high-spec D-Max feels compared with the utility-focused models.

All Isuzu D-Max models have a payload of more than 1000kg while the 4x4 variants have a braked trailer weight of up to 3500kg.

Compared with rivals, the Isuzu D-Max is a big truck — it measures 5265mm long, 1835mm wide and 1790mm high.

There's one engine available in two different power outputs of 164PS and 198PS, with torque figures of 360Nm or 400Nm, respectively.

It's offered with a five-year/125,000-mile warranty.