2020 Isuzu D-Max Revealed…Here in 12 months

By Isaac Bober 3 Min Read

The 2020 Isuzu D-Max has been revealed overnight marking the first all-new model since the current model launched eight years ago…it won’t get here for another 12 months.


The 2020 Isuzu D-Max has been revealed overnight and will go on-sale in Thailand later this month. This is the first new model D-Max in eight years and has been co-developed with Mazda. The headline grabbers are more power and torque and a rear differential lock as well as an 800mm wading depth. More on this later in the article.

2020 Isuzu D Max (2)

In Thailand, there are two engines on offer which will, no doubt, make Isuzu Ute Australia happy, with a 1.9-litre twin-turbo diesel and a refreshed version of the 4JJ1 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel called 4JJ3 and making 140kW (up from 130kW) at 3600rpm and 450Nm (up from 430Nm) of torque from 1600-2600rpm. There’s the choice of six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

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The new D-Max now features greater use of high-strength lightweight steel increasing body rigidity by 20 per cent with shear mounts used instead of body mounts to reduce noise and vibrations.

2020 Isuzu D Max (3)

And for four-wheelers, the addition of a rear differential lock and wading depth that matches Ford’s 800mm will no doubt be of interest. Indeed, not having a rear diff lock was one of the main gripes with the old D-Max. Isuzu claims changes to the rear suspension will improve ride and handling but we’ll wait until we’ve driven it before passing judgement.

2020 Isuzu D Max

The main changes on the outside are the grille, bumpers and head- and taillights which are now LED units. On the inside, there are things like dual-zone climate control, large 9.0-inch infotainment system with Apple and Android connectivity. The general look and feel of the interior is way above the current vehicle and seemingly places the new D-Max on even-footing with the Ranger as far as interior look is concerned. In terms of safety, there’s a raft of active safety available including autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert. As we reported when Isuzu teased the D-Max last week, this new model is still some 12 months away from arriving in Australia.



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