2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade review: Australian first drive
You asked, and Isuzu answered. This is the D-Max Blade, the company’s range-topping off-road model – and as Ben Zachariah finds out, it goes far deeper than a mere styling upgrade.
2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade
After three years of development with Walkinshaw – the company behind Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) – the 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade has launched as the brand’s range-topping off-road ute, designed to provide greater capability for those who like to hit the bush.
Since the current-generation D-Max was launched in 2020, Isuzu says it’s been inundated with requests from customers and the media for a dedicated off-road hero.
Until now, Isuzu has been one of the few without a dedicated bush-basher.
Despite the D-Max being one of Australia’s best-selling utes, when it comes to more expensive variants, Ford has almost 50 per cent of the market with the Ranger, while Toyota and Isuzu hold 17 and 11 per cent respectively with the HiLux and D-Max. And Isuzu wants a bigger piece of the pie.
Ford has the Ranger Tremor, Toyota has the HiLux Rogue, Nissan has the Navara Pro-4X Warrior, and Mazda has the BT-50 Thunder – a twin-under-the-skin to the standard D-Max.
But while all of the above utes claim to be rugged four-wheel-drives, some of those variants offer little more than cosmetic changes. This is where the D-Max stands out.
Walkinshaw was tasked with transforming the D-Max for the Australian market, with Isuzu issuing a brief to improve off-road handling, ground clearance, underbody protection, approach angle, lighting, and the visual presentation of the dual-cab ute.
And the Walkinshaw team had to do it without compromising on the D-Max’s current capability or design.
So what is the Blade? It’s a D-Max LS-U+ with suspension upgrades, increased strength and protection, and styling changes. Significant changes for what is, for now, a variant solely for the Australian market, all undertaken by a third-party Australian engineering outfit.
How much is an Isuzu D-Max Blade?
The 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade is priced from $76,990 drive-away, which the company says is a special introductory price – though there’s no word on how long the deal will last or how much pricing will change.
As mentioned, the Blade starts out life as a D-Max LS-U+ – one of the higher-end variants in the line-up – which is priced from $71,182 drive-away (Melbourne metro area), making the Blade just $5808 more expensive.
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering if you could save money by buying a D-Max LS-U+ and then adding the extras on yourself. While I won’t say it’s impossible, from what I’ve seen, you’d be very hard-pressed to pay for all the parts and labour for $5808 and walk away with any change.
Consider Walkinshaw has designed a set of 17-inch alloy wheels just for the Blade, clad in 275/65 R17 Goodyear Duratrac RT tyres. This alone would cost in the realm of $3000, if you’re lucky.
Walkinshaw partnered with Monroe to develop special shock absorbers for the Blade, evaluating 30 different combinations to find the right one – a 35mm twin-tube shock, which is almost 17 per cent larger than the original dampers.
Helping to hide the wider-offset wheels are a set of black wheel arch flares. Then there’s the new front undercar bash plate – now made from 3mm steel – along with a tubular sports bar in the tub, and matching tubular side-steps.
It’s worth noting that while the side-steps look like ‘rock sliders’ – and they are bolted directly to the chassis – the brackets aren’t especially strong and you may find them mangled after a day out of heavy bush bashing.
Rather than merely bolting on recovery points to each side of the ladder-frame, engineers instead designed a cross-brace – strengthening the chassis to ensure there’s no twisting in the frame if the vehicle is being recovered at an angle. The brace has two recovery points that can withstand up to eight tonnes.
The front grille and bar have also been reworked, with a curved and tinted 112-watt LED lightbar integrated into lower part of the grille. Despite being almost invisible in the day, the lightbar illuminates the road ahead out to a claimed 325 metres.
Then there are several small touches that are unique to the Blade: wider mudflaps, “katana-inspired” decals, special black badging, ‘Blade’ embroidered on the head rests and carpet mats, ‘Blade’ door sills, and two individually numbered build plates: one under the bonnet, and one behind the gear selector.
From there, it’s pretty much standard D-Max LS-U+.
The D-Max Blade is powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine found throughout the range, making 140kW and 450Nm, powering the wheels through an Aisin-sourced six-speed automatic transmission.
Most of the time, the vehicle is in 2H – also known as rear-wheel drive – which helps reduce fuel consumption, with an electronic knob on the dashboard allowing the driver to switch to 4H or 4L to engage four-wheel drive when driving off the blacktop.
Along with a rear differential lock, the D-Max offers Rough Terrain Mode, which acts a bit like traction control for off-road environments. It reduces wheel slip and sends torque to the wheel with the most grip.
For full pricing and specifications on the D-Max Blade, click here.
| Key details | 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade |
| Price | $76,990 on-road (introductory price) |
| Colour of test car | Moonstone White pearl |
| Drive-away price | $76,990 |
| Rivals | Ford Ranger Tremor | Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior | Toyota HiLux Rogue |
How big is an Isuzu D-Max Blade?
The Isuzu D-Max Blade is 5308mm long, 1910mm wide – making it 40mm wider than the LS-U+ on which it’s based.
Official documents provided to Drive show the Blade with a height of 1810mm. However, the LS-U+ is 1790mm high, and we were told there was 29mm of body lift. We have sought clarification from Isuzu on this point, but it’s expected the D-Max Blade will have a height of either 1810mm or 1819mm.
However, the body lift doesn’t come from newly developed springs. The standard springs remain, while spacers and blocks have been added to increase the overall height of the body.
Ground clearance has increased from 240mm to 244mm (due to the rear differential housing not being affected by the body lift), while approach, departure, and break-over angles are now 29.2, 19.2, and 25.2 degrees respectively.
Isuzu lists the new kerb weight as 2204kg – an increase of 94kg over the LS-U+ – thus reducing the payload of the Blade by the same amount, for a total capacity of 896kg, thanks to the gross vehicle mass (GVM) remaining at 3100kg.
Inside, and there’s plenty of space for five adults. Surprisingly, I wasn’t as impressed with the leather seats as I was with the cloth seats in the SX Crew Cab Chassis I reviewed last year. But I did have plenty of time in the passenger seat and the back seat – including on some off-road trails – and never had any complaints from my back, and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of space and storage available.
| 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade | |
| Seats | Five |
| Payload | 896kg |
| Length | 5308mm |
| Width | 1910mm |
| Height | 1810mm |
| Wheelbase | 3125mm |
Does the Isuzu D-Max Blade have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
As with the LS-U+, the D-Max Blade comes with a relatively new 9.0-inch infotainment screen – mercifully featuring a volume knob – which comes with Bluetooth, digital DAB+ radio, voice recognition, and both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
All of which runs through an eight-speaker stereo.
The infotainment system is a big improvement on the pre-facelift D-Max, which didn’t seem to have the computing power to keep up with everything being asked of it.
The infotainment screen can also be used to access Isuzu’s Terrain Command 4×4 drive modes, a digital inclinometer, and the digital tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) – which can show both the pressures and temperatures of each tyre.
A common mistake of those heading off-road is to drop the tyre pressures when turning off the main highway, despite initially driving on gravel roads at speed before encountering a goat track.
Normal road speeds with low pressures can quickly overheat and fatigue the sidewalls, significantly reducing their lifespan or causing a blowout – making the temperature feature on the Isuzu’s TPMS very handy.
Ahead of the driver is a 7.0-inch digital instrument display, which is clear and easy to read.
The seats and steering wheel are trimmed in leather, with two front pews being heated – only the driver gets an eight-way electric seat.
There are plenty of premium features, like keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, automatic LED headlights, automatic wipers, and a total of three 3.0-amp USB-C ports (two front, one rear) – but despite this, the interior never quite rises to a place of luxury.
There are other utes that arguably do. However, luxury isn’t necessarily what people want from a tough off-road ute. The cabin is purposeful and attractive, but has plenty of hard plastics, and the leather itself seems less about feeling like a king and more about being easier to clean.
The switchgear is great, though I’m still not a fan of the remote volume buttons on the steering wheel, which can easily restart a long podcast or song to the beginning when you’re simply trying to turn it up.
Is the Isuzu D-Max Blade a safe car?
All variants of the Isuzu D-Max ute were awarded a five-star rating by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program – better known as ANCAP – back in 2022.
It was the second time the ute received a top score – following a redesign of the dashboard and knee airbag – with the initial test occurring in 2020. The latest certification expires in December 2028.
Of the four main categories, the D-Max received 84 per cent for its driver-assist features, 86 per cent for adult occupant protection, and 89 per cent for child occupant protection – with vulnerable road user protection (meaning pedestrians, cyclists, and motorbike riders) scoring 69 per cent.
While the Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger, and Toyota HiLux all have five-star ratings, they were mostly tested in different years and under different criteria – with scores awarded in 2024, 2022, and 2019 respectively. The Nissan Navara is currently untested.
| 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2022) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Isuzu D-Max Blade have?
Along with eight airbags, the D-Max Blade comes standard with Isuzu’s Intelligent Driver Assistance Systems, which includes automatic emergency braking (AEB) with turn assist, forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition, lane-departure warning and prevention, lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and braking.
While the D-Max does have a reversing camera, the ute doesn’t have AEB for reverse – meaning it’s entirely up to you to make sure the coast is clear when backing out of the driveway.
Very early versions of the D-Max suffered from overly intrusive safety systems, beeping at the driver and pulling on the wheel at the wrong time – but that’s no longer the case. Isuzu has continued to develop its safety systems, and the car didn’t tell me off once or try to wrench the steering wheel out of my hands during our time with the ute.
| Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | Includes cyclist detection |
| Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | With speed zone intelligence |
| Blind Spot Alert | Yes | Monitoring only |
| Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | Yes | Alert and assist functions |
| Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist |
| Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes speed limit assist |
| Driver Attention Warning | No | |
| Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, rear camera |
How much does the Isuzu D-Max Blade cost to run?
For all new vehicles purchased, Isuzu Ute Australia offers five years of fixed-price servicing (up to 75,000km), six years (or 150,000km) of warranty, and seven years of roadside assistance.
The first five scheduled services – spaced every 12 months or 15,000km – are fixed at $449, for a total cost of $2245 over five years, although Isuzu’s service considers some items, like fuel filters, ‘additional maintenance items’ on top of capped-price program, as required.
As the D-Max Blade has only just been announced, the model wasn’t able to quote for car insurance – and given the variant is more expensive, insurance is likely to be higher.
However, for an Isuzu D-Max LS-U+, an annual cost of $1920.85 is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade |
| Warranty | Six years, 150,000km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1347 (3 years) $2245 (5 years) |
| Driving range claim | 1101km |
Is the Isuzu D-Max Blade fuel-efficient?
Here’s where we get into slightly murky waters. Isuzu claims the D-Max LS-U+ uses 6.9 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres on the highway, and 9.8L/100km in the city, for a combined average of 8.0L/100km.
However, while an Isuzu spokesperson told us the changes to the Blade were insignificant enough to warrant retesting, it’s worth noting the vehicle now has wider, more aggressive tyres, more stuff attached to the outside, and has been given a body lift.
Given we spent most of our time off-roading in hilly, rocky terrain and cruising on a beach, we aren’t able to provide accurate, real-world fuel consumption figures on this occasion. While we suspect they may be slightly higher than normal, we’ll be getting the Blade back into the Drive garage in the future to check our own experience against the claimed numbers.
| Fuel efficiency | 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.0L/100km (LS-U+) |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | Not recorded |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Fuel tank size | 76L |
What is the Isuzu D-Max Blade like to drive?
Despite our limited time with the D-Max Blade, we did get a good snapshot of what it would be like both on and off-road – and it is better.
Not that there was anything wrong with the D-Max before – it’s always driven well, albeit like a light commercial vehicle – but the changes have, without a doubt, improved both ride and handling and elevated the Isuzu to another level.
Firstly, the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine makes for a good powertrain package. Nobody is going to be blown away by its performance, but there’s enough there to get you and your occupants on the freeway at speed, and to complete an overtake when the opportunity presents itself.
Driving the tracks, the improved ground clearance and more aggressive tyres of the Blade certainly helped, particularly when driving in ruts – and smacking the underside with the purpose-built bash plate provided a lot of surety – but I suspect the biggest winners will be those who venture to the long, corrugated outback roads of Australia.
If you’ve ever spent time on those roads in remote areas of South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia, you’ll know your shock absorbers will be working hard – sometimes for hours at a time. If you haven’t been, you absolutely should.
The Monroe shock absorbers on the Blade do an excellent job of soaking up the bumps and lumps, delivering increased levels of comfort, while also improving the handling by a few degrees.
But while the steering has improved, it’s more like two steps forward, one step back, with the Goodyear tyres somewhat insulating communication between the road surface and the steering wheel. Better, yes – but don’t expect a quantum leap.
Road noise is also more noticeable, which is almost unavoidable when it comes to tyres like these. A bit more noise in exchange for far greater off-road capability is a worthy compromise in my mind, but it’s worth mentioning.
My only complaint during my time with the D-Max Blade was the throttle sensitivity when it was in low-range.
In the old days there was nothing to do but try and brace your foot as the vehicle lurches and scampers over rocks, but with today’s drive-by-wire technology – in which the accelerator sends a digital signal to the car’s computer, rather than being physically connected to the fuel pump or throttle – it would be very easy to turn down the sensitivity when in low-range.
Am I nitpicking? Man, yes. Overall, the D-Max Blade is a really great package – greater than the sum of its parts, because everything was developed and comprehensively tested for the D-Max platform by Walkinshaw’s engineers. Tested to work on Australian roads.
| Key details | 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade |
| Engine | 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel |
| Power | 140kW @ 3600rpm |
| Torque | 450Nm @ 1600–2600rpm |
| Drive type | Part-time four-wheel drive Low-range transfer case |
| Transmission | 6-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 63.5kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2204kg |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size |
| Payload | 896kg |
| Tow rating | 3500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
How much weight can the Isuzu D-Max Blade tow?
As with the D-Max LS-U+ on which it’s based, the Blade can tow up to 3.5 tonnes braked or 750kg unbraked.
Thanks to the extra gear on the Blade, the payload has been reduced to 896kg, which is neither the best nor the worst in its class.
Despite the revised front grille and bumper, Walkinshaw conducted wind-tunnel testing to ensure there was no loss of cooling – particularly important for those who tow in hot weather across Australia.
Drivers have the ability to turn off rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring when towing, with the Isuzu also providing trailer sway control as standard.
Should I buy an Isuzu D-Max Blade?
I was probably a bit sceptical of the Isuzu D-Max Blade going into it – was this just going to be another overpriced sticker pack for dummies? I’m glad to say I was wrong. Isuzu has set the right objectives, worked with the right people, and delivered a great ute for those who need something tougher than most of its competitors.
As I touched on earlier, I suspect it would be a hard task to modify a D-Max LS-U+ to the same level as the Blade for the extra money Isuzu is asking – and even then, most aftermarket products wouldn’t have been developed and tested to the same high standards.
The updated Isuzu D-Max has come a long way since it originally launched a few years ago. The safety systems are no longer intrusive and annoying, the infotainment system works great, and overall everything has been tweaked and refined to make this a top contender in the segment. It’s maturing like a fine… bourbon.
Despite being the range-topping variant, the D-Max Blade doesn’t quite deliver as a premium product. But as I mentioned, not everyone who heads to the bush or the outback wants to feel like they’re cruising around in a luxury cabin. They need something that won’t get wrecked when mud splatters through the window or bulldust accumulates on the dash – and for those environments, it’s hard to think of anything better than an Isuzu D-Max Blade.
The Isuzu D-Max is a great ute, but the Blade is better – especially for those who venture out of the city limits to explore this great land of ours.
How do I buy an Isuzu D-Max Blade? The next steps.
If you’re after a tough, reliable off-road dual-cab ute, then the 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade should be high on your list.
While the Blade has yet to be added to the online configurator, the first step is to jump onto the Isuzu Ute Australia website and read up on the D-Max Blade and consider whether it fits your family’s needs.
Get in touch with your local Isuzu dealership by clicking here, and check to see if it has a Blade in stock for you to test drive and look over. Don’t forget, Drive Marketplace has a wide selection of new, demo, and used D-Max utes for sale right now.
Check out all of our news and reviews on the Isuzu D-Max by clicking here.
The post 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade review: Australian first drive appeared first on Drive.
Komentar
Posting Komentar