The test vehicle was the $38,700 D-Max LS-M 4×4 crew-cab, which improves on the Toyota HiLux SR dual-cab diesel’s standard equipment list with ABS, air, cruise control, one-inch-wider wheels, four extra speakers, projector-lens headlights, a roof console and a three-tonne towing capacity.
Other goodies include cruise control, wheel arch flares, alloy wheels, leather steering wheel rim and shift knob, electro-luminescent instrument cluster, trip computer and projector headlights and front fog lights. Both the five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions are special low-friction designs to help save fuel and run quietly.
The Isuzu is not super-refined but is comfortable and competent as a town and country machine. It comes into its own by carrying fridges and the like, weekend runs to the rubbish tip or highway transport capable of dealing with all types of road conditions. The ride is firm and when unladen the rear end can crash and skip through potholes.
It adequately tackled mountains roads, although the steering is a bit ponderous and needed a lot of turning through the twisty bits. My off-road testing was across Black Mountain Rd between Kuranda and Julatten in North Queensland, but I was disappointed. After all the recent rain I was expecting some wet and slippery conditions but apart from some big puddles the journey was uneventful. Not once did I have to engage 4WD with the gutsy turbo-diesel easily climbing up and over a couple of steeper sections of the track.
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