New 2021 D-MAX nails ANCAP 5-star rating

By Wes Whitworth 3 Min Read

Isuzu has just confirmed that after rigorous ANCAP testing, the new 2021 D-MAX has nailed a 5-star rating.

With ANCAP upping its testing regime and criteria, the new Isuzu D-Max has managed to secure a full 5-star rating from the ratings body. This comes after the vehicle officially went on sale and is a welcome result from the Isuzu team after a swathe of safety and technology upgrades across the entire D-Max range. We’ve spoken before about the upgraded IDAS and technology systems within the new D-Max which you’ll find here, and the new 5-star rating is a testament to the work that Isuzu has put into the ute, aside from various other upgrades.

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Opener D Max Ancap2

“The D-MAX rating has been highly anticipated by fleet and private buyers, and re-establishes the safety benchmark for the competitive ute segment where the introduction of safety features has tended to lag that of passenger cars and SUVs,” ANCAP Director of Communications and Advocacy, Rhianne Robson said.

In the official ANCAP statement announcing the maximum 5-star safety rating result, ANCAP commended Isuzu for democratising safety across the entire range, stating that “all 20 variants in the D-MAX range – single cab, space cab, crew cab, and cab chassis – provide the same high level safety features, technologies and performance as standard”.

“It is reassuring to see manufacturers take responsibility and prioritise safety to provide their customers with the safest vehicles they can,” Robson said.

ANCAP has updated its testing regime this year to better reflect modern crash scenarios, including the vehicles that are more commonly seen on our roads in more recent times. As you can imagine, with more dual-cab utes gracing our roads, the testing has been updated to reflect taller and larger vehicles.

Opener D Max Ancap

“Safety has always been of paramount importance to us at Isuzu UTE Australia, and with standardised levels of safety and driver assistance technologies previously unseen in a ute, I am very pleased with the All-New D-MAX achieving the top safety rating against the newer, tougher testing criteria,” Isuzu UTE Australia Managing Director, Hiroyasu Sato said.

“I’d like to thank and congratulate our Isuzu engineering team for achieving this maximum 5-star safety rating for our Isuzu D-MAX customers. Our customers deserve the best and we are proud to offer one of the safest vehicles available on Australian roads,” Sato added.

All in all, this is a result worthy of praise for the Isuzu team, with yet another accolade to add to what has shaped up to be a top-notch four-wheel drive. If you want to see videos of the ANCAP testing procedure for the new D-MAX, including a great slo-mo shot of the centre airbag being deployed, have a look below:

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