What are the critics saying about the Isuzu D-Max car?
This £21,009 car lives up to its ‘tough, no-nonsense’ reputation

The Daily Telegraph
Pickup trucks like the Isuzu D-Max have never been popular in the UK, where the van is king. But since HMRC views them as commercial vehicles, they come with tax perks. “So should you consider one instead of an SUV?” The four-wheel-drive D-Max can tow up to 3.5 tonnes, and lives up to its “tough, no-nonsense” reputation. But there’s no denying it is “unrefined” next to a passenger car.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What Car?
The D-Max comes in layouts to suit everyone – from a single cab with a long bed, to an extended cab, or a family five-seater that doubles as a work truck. It’s also fairly well-equipped and comfortable inside, with good safety tech, a 7-9in infotainment system and both Apple and Android smartphone mirroring. It may not be “plush”, but it is well-built and should last beyond its five-year warranty.
Autocar
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
This new D-Max signals Isuzu – primarily a maker of commercial vehicles – going after the “lifestyle” market. But that doesn’t mean the car has gone soft; it remains “unfathomably capable” on rough terrain. That said, on the road the D-Max’s 162bhp 1.9-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel engine is noticeably loud and harsh. At the least, what Isuzu has delivered is good value durability in relative comfort.
-
What is Free Speech?: a 'meticulous' look at the evolution of freedom of expression
The Week Recommends Fara Dabhoiwala provides both history and critique while 'correcting misconceptions'
By The Week UK
-
Rupert Gavin shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The theatre impresario picks works by Dan Jones, Annie Ernaux and Floella Benjamin
By The Week UK
-
What They Found: Sam Mendes's powerful debut documentary
The Week Recommends The Oscar-winning director's harrowing film features footage and first-hand accounts of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
By The Week UK
-
What is Free Speech?: a 'meticulous' look at the evolution of freedom of expression
The Week Recommends Fara Dabhoiwala provides both history and critique while 'correcting misconceptions'
By The Week UK
-
Rupert Gavin shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The theatre impresario picks works by Dan Jones, Annie Ernaux and Floella Benjamin
By The Week UK
-
What They Found: Sam Mendes's powerful debut documentary
The Week Recommends The Oscar-winning director's harrowing film features footage and first-hand accounts of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
By The Week UK
-
The Return: a 'lethally effective' Odyssey adaptation
The Week Recommends Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche reunite in Urberto Pasolini's 'emotionally gripping' drama
By The Week UK
-
Critics' choice: Three takes on tavern dining
Feature A second Minetta Tavern, A 1946 dining experience, and a menu with a mission
By The Week US
-
Film reviews: Warfare and A Minecraft Movie
Feature A combat film that puts us in the thick of it and five misfits fall into a cubic-world adventure
By The Week US
-
Music reviews: Perfume Genius, Momma, Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Feature "Glory," "Welcome to My Blue Sky," and "Who Believes in Angels?"
By The Week US
-
Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture From the Torlonia Collection
Feature The private collection is being revealed to the public for the first time in decades
By The Week US