Isuzu D-Max 2022 review: LSU+ 3500km on and off-road test

The LS-U+ crew cab 4x4 has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $63,500, which does not include on-road costs. 

With Mercury Silver metallic paint ($650) and on road costs ($5481) taken care of, then this variant’s recommended drive away price climbs to $69,631. 

However, our test vehicle was fitted with a tow bar wiring harness (12 Pin Flat, $359), electronic brake controller ($820), electric roller tonneau cover ($3792.80) and stamp duty ($248.59) had been sorted out, so its total driveaway price as tested ends up as $74,851.39.

The LSU+ has LED daytime running lights. (image credit: Marcus Craft)

Standard features in this new variant, setting it apart from the LS-U, include black leather-accented upholstery and interior trims, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat (with eight-way electric adjustment and electric lumbar support), dual vanity mirror lights, auto-dimming rear view mirror, heated door mirrors, a Lane Support System (LSS) Switch (which is aimed at making it easier to switch through driver-assist aids), a GCM (gross combined mass) of 6000kg and a factory-fitted tow bar receiver and tub liner. 

Otherwise it comes equipped with a 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia display with sat-nav, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, smart keyless entry, chrome door handles, tailgate handle, handbrake button, side mirrors and front grille, LED daytime running lights (DRL), with auto-levelling and automatic high beam control, rear parking sensors, under rail tub liner, and 18-inch machined-face alloy wheels with 265/60R18 Bridgestone 684II HT.

The LSU+ wears 18-inch alloy wheels. (image credit: Marcus Craft)

Available paint finishes are Mineral White, Basalt Black mica, Cobalt Blue mica, Mercury Silver metallic, Obsidian Grey metallic, Marble White pearl, and Magnetic Red mica.

The LS-U+ has the line-up’s 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 140kW at 3600rpm and 450Nm at 1600-2600rpm.

That engine is matched to a six-speed automatic transmission and the combination is a solid, proven teaming – working well through most driving scenarios and conditions.

  The 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel produces 140kW/450Nm. (image credit: Marcus Craft)

This is not the torquiest 4WD ute engine on the market, but it’s simply so unstressed in its all-round delivery that it’s easy for the D-Max to just keep trucking along without a care in the world.

The D-Max has a part-time 4WD system. It has a dual-range transfer case (with high-and low-range 4WD), an off-road traction control system and a rear diff-lock. The driver is able to shift from 2H (two-wheel drive, high range) to 4H (4WD high range) while on the move, and up to speeds of 100km/h, The diff-lock may only be engaged when the vehicle is in 4L (4WD low range).

The LS-U+ has no significant changes over the LS-U, in terms of practicality, other than the electric roller-top tonneau cover over the tub.

The cabin’s interior is a nice, basic, but well-dressed space; a pleasant blend of functionality with an understated not-quite-premium feel to everything. 

Inside is a 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia display.

Upfront is comfortable; nicely appointed with leather-accented upholstery and soft-touch surfaces and well equipped with an easy-to-use 9.0-inch multimedia touch screen, USB charge points, a plethora of storage spaces and everything is simple enough to access and make use of. 

The seats are supportive and comfortable and well-suited to long days of travel.

The second row has enough leg and headroom. (image credit: Marcus Craft)

The back row is a comfortable space with sufficient room – head, legs, and knees – and there are plenty of storage spaces, including cup holders in the fold-down centre arm-rest, map pockets in the seat-backs, and bottle holders in the doors.

There are air vents and a USB charging point in the back of the centre console, and a pop-out cargo hook in the back of the front passenger seat on which to hang a shopping bag.

A multi-day long-distance test offers the driver and passengers the opportunity to get much more of an immersive experience in a vehicle than a seven-day test could ever yield.

And so was the case with this two-week trip along the east coast of Australia that totalled more than 3500km when it eventually drew to a close.

So much time spent in the D-Max merely cemented many of the positives I’d recognised and acknowledged in previous much shorter tests.

Long days on the road (some of those more than eight hours and 700km a pop) weren’t as punishing as you might imagine because the D-Max offers very agreeable levels of comfort and refinement – for a ute.

The LS-U+ has a listed kerb weight of 2112kg (that’s with 76L of fuel) and a turning circle of 12.5m. It measures 5270mm long (with a 3125mm wheelbase), 1870mm wide and 1790mm high, so it occupies not an insignificant amount of space and yet it always feels very manoeuvrable.

The LS-U+ measures in at 5270mm long. (image credit: Marcus Craft)

Steering is well-weighted, but retains a keen balance about it on the bitumen, with minimal ‘play’ in the steering wheel itself in evidence.

Throttle response is impressive, with smooth acceleration from a standing start and there’s plenty of punch available when push comes to shove on the open road and you need to smoothly overtake another vehicle, all the while maintaining absolute control.

The engine and transmission, always a standout in the D-Max range, continue to give this ute plenty of appeal as a daily driver and touring platform. Sure, engine noise can creep into the raucous zone when you apply heavy throttle, but that’s easy to forgive when the D-Max is otherwise such a relaxed general-duties vehicle.

In terms of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels, beyond that diesel clatter in the background and some wind-rush around the big wing mirrors, most potential in-cabin intrusions are kept to a minimum.

Ride and handling are well-controlled, with the suspension set-up – wishbones and coil springs at the front, three-leaf springs at the rear – working nicely to soften the impact of most surface imperfections.

The D-Max has rear three-leaf springs.

The D-Max remains more than a little bit truck-like, but I don’t mind the fact that it’s not quite as refined as other rivals claim to be.

Niggles? All doors in the stationery vehicle lock automatically when all are closed, even momentarily. And they do so with a loud beep every time. To unlock the doors, you have to rummage in your pocket, find the keys and unlock the cab. Yep, first-world problems, but the wrong side of annoying when you’re packing/unpacking and someone closes a door – and the open-close process has to start all over again. There’s likely a way to disable this function – including the beeps – or, at least, delay the auto-locking action but I didn’t take the time to check the owner’s manual and sort it out.

The adaptive cruise control is generally very cluey and maintains your selected speed as required but at times it can get a bit out of sorts, especially on long gradual hills, going uncomfortably faster or slower than your actual set speed.

Official fuel consumption is listed as 8.0L/100km.

On our test, which included a lot of driving on sealed surfaces and high-range 4WDing on firm sand and some low-range 4WDing through softer sand and mud, we recorded an average fuel consumption of 7.9L/100km.

It has a 76-litre fuel tank so, with that sort of fuel-consumption figure, you can reasonably expect a driving range of approximately 910km from a full tank, but that’s factoring in a safe-distance buffer of 50km.

The D-Max has a six-year/150,000km warranty and up to seven years of roadside assistance. 

That warranty is okay in terms of years, but unlimited kms would be a welcome sweetener.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest. 

Capped Price Servicing covers the first seven scheduled services (i.e. the first seven years of the new vehicle’s ‘life’). The cost per service is $409 at 15,000km, $429 at 30,000km, $629 at 45,000km, $529 at 60,000km, $319 at 75,000km, $769 at 90,000km, and $429 at 105,000km – for a total cost of $3513, according to Isuzu.

Servicing costs are getting steep and, in an increasingly competitive dual-cab ute market, potential buyers should closely scrutinise those.