2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade review

The 2025 Isuzu D-Max Blade is the next iteration of upgraded four-wheel-drive utes, tweaked locally for increased performance and toughness, with heightened appeal and a bump in asking price.

The Blade aims to be the hairy-chested choice in Isuzu's D-Max range. We've got one for a proper off-road test to see if the D-Max Blade can punch on with the likes of the Ford Ranger Tremor and Nissan Navara Warrior, as well as justifying its top-of-the-pops pricing.

Even though it's based upon the middle-to-top LS-U+ trim level, the new D-Max Blade manages to jump above the X-Terrain for pricing because of the modifications made to the Blade. Done by Walkinshaw Group in Australia, the D-Max Blade gets new wheels and tyres, modified suspension, some bolt-on accessories, and additional lighting.

Pricing from the D-Max Blade launches with a $76,990 drive-away deal, compared to the $67,990 drive-away deal available on a D-Max X-Terrain, or the $65.500 plus on-road costs of a regular LS-U+.

While the regular springs are retained, the Blade gets Monroe-supplied twin-tube dampers that give an increase in piston size and oil capacity, as well as a likely improvement in overall durability. The suspension lift at the rear comes from a spacer block between the leaf springs and the differential housing, while the front gets a new strut design and redesigned spring seat.

It's one way to do it, but Isuzu hasn't gone to the same lengths as what you get in a Ford Ranger Tremor or Nissan Navara Warrior, both of which attain an increased ride height by adopting new springs to the updated dampers.

Like those rivals, though, we've got updated wheels here at 17 inches in diameter with a wider offset to help accommodate larger tyres. These Goodyear Duratrac tyres – a quality aftermarket choice in their own right – are a little taller and wider than the standard offering, and similar to what you get on a Ranger Tremor. But a Navara Warrior goes a bit bigger.

Recovery points are included at both ends, and have been tested against 8.0-tonne loads by Walkinshaw. It's been tested at angles of 35 degrees as well, which speaks to the suitability of these recovery points against the rigours of a real-world off-road recovery.

The side steps perhaps aren't as bushproof, however, with lower-hanging brackets that are prone to catching on obstacles off-road, getting themselves damaged and the vehicle stuck in some instances. But they do afford an easier ingress to the cabin at least.

There are some other bits here worth mentioning: a bright red 3.0mm steel bashplate at the front of the vehicle, wheel arch flares, a redesigned grille (that includes a curved light bar), sports bar, and mud flaps.

Otherwise, it's regular-fare D-Max on the inside, save for some embroidered bits and Blade-branded tread plates. That means you get two-zone climate control, a 9.0-inch infotainment display, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, faux leather trimming, and electric seat adjustment for the driver.

This spec also gets a towbar and tub liner, as well as a 7.0-inch multifunction display in front of the driver.

Firstly, this D-Max Blade is slightly taller and wider than a regular dual-cab D-Max, because of the adjustments to wheels, tyres and suspension (and don't forget the flares).

However, the rest of the hard-point dimensions carry over for this new trim level. And as far as dual-cab utes go, the D-Max rates pretty well. It's a larger vehicle than a HiLux or Navara, for example, with a second row that's noticeably more commodious and comfortable.

Inside, the D-Max Blade feels nice and doesn't seem to lose out much in terms of niceties to the X-Runner specification. Seats are broad and comfortable, with enough adjustment available along with a tilt-and-reach steering column to get comfortable behind the wheel.

While some may find the hard plastics of the dashboard and centre console a bit irksome, you cannot knock the D-Max for the additions of storage that Isuzu has included. The two gloveboxes are of a good size, and the pop-out cupholders at each end of the dashboard work well for bottles and iced coffee cartons alike.

The centre console is big enough, and there's good storage for wallets and purses just below the useful run of climate-control buttons. Power outlets – two USB-C points and a 12V plug – are located handily in this spot as well.

In the second row, you've got air vents and a single USB-C power outlet at the back of the centre console. There's room for bottles in the doors, storage available under the seats, and the ability to fold the backrest down for some loading flexibility.

Space in the second row is decent, and allows you to fit a rearward-facing baby seat and keep a little bit of leg room for the front passenger.

In the back, the D-Max Blade gets a drop-in tubliner with a couple of tie-down points, but no power outlet or tonneau cover. And if you want to lock the tailgate, that doesn't go via the central-locking system. Instead, you must remove the key from the fob and lock it manually.

Recent upgrades for the Isuzu D-Max have helped it in the never-ending infotainment wars, even though we still have the same 9.0-inch screen size that was initially included at the launch of this new-generation model.

Firstly, we've now got a volume knob, which is faster and more intuitive to use than the old buttons it replaces. The operating system is different now as well, with a more slick interface, faster loading times and easier navigation.

This set-up includes native navigation, wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and digital radio. However, there is no companion app for remote functionality.

A five-star ANCAP result from 2022 holds the Isuzu D-Max in good stead when it comes to safety credentials. This includes an 86 per cent rating for adult occupants, and an 89 per cent score for child occupants. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) get a 69 per cent score, while the active safety technology included in the D-Max range get an 84 per cent score for performance.

However, this specific Blade variant has been excluded by ANCAP from that five-star rating. Therefore, it is technically unrated.

Using two forward-facing cameras mounted up high on the windscreen (among other things), the Isuzu D-Max has a broad range of safety equipment as standard kit. It's worth mentioning that Isuzu puts this bunch of equipment across the D-Max range, rather than locking it into only higher trim (and more profitable) examples.

There's autonomous emergency braking – which includes cyclist detection – and lane-departure warning, along with lane-keep assistance, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. There's also traffic sign recognition, intelligent adaptive cruise control and a rear-view camera, but no 360-degree camera.

Servicing costs for an Isuzu D-Max are mostly line-ball, with a five-year servicing schedule averaging out to $469 per year. Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000km, which means that $2345 cost will give you 75,000km of driving.

Like the regular Isuzu range, the Blade is covered by a six-year/150,000km warranty. Up to seven years roadside assist is also included, renewed at each service through a genuine Isuzu dealer.

Insurance for a D-Max Blade is set at $2163.58 per year, which is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Despite having one of the largest engines in the class in terms of overall capacity, the Isuzu D-Max does offer good levels of fuel efficiency. There's a claim of 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres, which holds steady against the claim of a non-Blade LS-U+. But with the additional weight of the add-ons, along with more aggressive tyres that will increase rolling resistance, you'll get a higher level of consumption in a D-Max Blade.

With that being said, our efficiency wasn't too bad on test, with an indicated consumption of 9.8L/100km. It's worth noting that this was an even mix between three different cases: off-road driving in high and low-range, town driving in the 'burbs, and highway cruising.

The good news with the D-Max Blade is that it's not a dramatic shift away from what a regular D-Max is: well balanced on that tightrope walk of providing ride comfort, a good payload, off-road capability and suitability for towing.

It's easy to deride Isuzu's choice for retaining the standard springs as corner-cutting, but there is some smartness here. The regular set-up is well sorted, so not throwing out the baby with the bathwater makes sense. In some cases, putting in a lifted spring (either in a factory set-up or from the aftermarket) can include a stiffer spring rate, which can disturb the ride quality.

The ride quality of the D-Max Blade is mostly unchanged and constant for me, without back-to-back testing them. Light, direct steering and a decent ride quality (for a ute, which is always a compromise) and that lazy torque from the 3.0-litre engine make the D-Max steadfastly good, without leading the class for on-road driving characteristics.

On the flip side, the improvement in overall ground clearance – and inevitable off-road capability – is a little more muted here. It's overall better off-road, thanks mostly to the grippier tyres and 17-inch wheels, but the increase in ground clearance isn't so notable here.

It's made worse by the design of the side steps, which hang low and have poorly designed lower brackets that tend to catch onto rocks and dirt quite happily. Normally, you prefer to 'slide' over obstacles, but these brackets don't allow such things and need to be driven around at times. At least they are chassis-mounted instead of being more flimsily mounted on the vehicle's sills.

Despite that, the D-Max feels like a solid and capable off-roader. The combination of the Rough Terrain driving mode – a special tune of the off-road traction-control system – and a locking rear differential puts the D-Max in good stead. Even better, because both of these work together at the same time. So with a locked rear differential, you have a good and fast-reacting traction-control system on the front axle to help overcome the trickier sections and steeper climbs.

The bash plate – which is solid with 3.0mm steel – gets a workout at times, but is sturdy. Plus, having proper recovery points and more durable dampers is always a good thing for a four-wheel-drive.

As always, the 3.0-litre 4JJ3 engine is a great companion to off-road driving. Its lazy nature means there isn't any sudden thrust of torque to your inputs, and it allows you to modulate things nicely.

And while we didn't do any loaded testing or towing this time around, our previous experiences, and the fact that we have the same springs here, say that the D-Max is a solid performer. The engine – while being relatively low on outputs – isn't fazed by heavier loads, and the suspension is well dialled to handle a big dose of weight.

A 3.5-tonne braking towing capacity is retained for the D-Max Blade, along with a solid 896kg payload. This is reduced from the 990kg payload of the LS-U+, because the extra weight of the Blade eats into the unchanged 3100kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) of the D-Max.

Let's keep pulling this string for a minute. A 3100kg GVM and 3500kg braked towing capacity equal 6600kg, which the official gross combination mass of the D-Max cannot match (The D-Max Blade's GCM is rated at 6000kg).

This presents problems for those who are looking to tow a 3.5-tonne trailer, because effectively this leaves only 296kg of payload left over in the vehicle's gross vehicle mass when towing that theoretical 3500kg trailer.

This 296kg needs to cover passengers, accessories, and anything else loaded into the car, but those who want to stay fully legal might not even be able to leave the driveway.

This is quite possibly enough to account for the weight of the towball on the vehicle, which needs to be accounted for within the payload. This is often cited at being approximately 350kg (10 per cent of the trailer's weight is the rule of thumb). Those towing need to know an accurate trailer and ball weight (along with the vehicle's actual weight), especially when they are legally flying close to the sun.

In other words, the D-Max Blade will be much safer, better and straightforward with a 2500–3000kg trailer.

The Isuzu D-Max is a solid and worthy choice in the competitive ute segment, even though there are competitors with more kit and polish. It feels smartly fit for purpose, and the changes made to the Blade specification don't upset the balance of ride quality, load carrying and general utility.

So while there might be more emotional appeal in a Ford Ranger Tremor or Toyota HiLux GR Sport, for example, the D-Max Blade does have a more resolved unladen ride quality. And while other models have a more comprehensive range of changes and updates, this model is still solid as a general ute and off-roading option.

The major consideration that buyers will need to make is to look at what kind of money you're spending on the D-Max Blade over an LS-U+, and whether you'd prefer to go your own way (sorry Isuzu) with your own range of modifications. There are benefits of warranty inclusions and drive-away ease in this model, but you also might get something more to your own taste if you so desire.

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

Read more about Sam Purcell