Blade sharpens Isuzu D-Max line-up
BY MATT CAMPBELL | 25th Oct 2024
ISUZU Ute Australia (IUA) has uncovered the new D-Max Blade dual-cab ute – a more off-road-focused take on the popular pick-up truck that has become a reality thanks to a deep partnership with local specialists Walkinshaw Automotive.
The new Blade variant sits atop the D-Max range, with introductory pricing of $76,990 drive-away – putting it close to the likes of Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior ($71,265 before on-road costs) Toyota HiLux GR Sport ($74,310 + ORC), Ford Ranger V6 Tremor ($76,590 + ORC), VW Amarok V6 Panamericana ($78,990 + ORC) and the mechanically related Mazda BT-50 Thunder ($74,095 + ORC).
According to IUA, the brand did not want to undermine some of the key traits of its double-cab D-Max, meaning it carries over an identical 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine with 140kW/450Nm, continues with the maximum 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity and manages to better many rivals in terms of payload, with 896kg available.
IUA managing director Junta Matsui said the brand admits its high-spec offering has been “a long time coming”, with more than a dozen prototypes tested over a three-year period and more than 100,000km of durability rough-housing to ensure the Walkinshaw-fettled model met the expectations of the Japanese brand.
“Before we even kicked this project off, we spent months speaking with local engineering outfits to determine how to best bring the Blade to life,” Mr Matsui said.
“In the end, we chose to partner with Walkinshaw due to their unrivalled local LCV experience and local engineering and design talent pool – with the finished product speaking for itself.
“Timing was everything – it certainly was a challenge to navigate the midlife facelift of the 24MY D-Max, introduced in May 2024,” Mr Matsui said, essentially admitting the brand was a bit late to the party with this model.
“But given that the 24MY D-Max instilled a suite of updates that directly addressed consumer feedback, it was essential that Walkinshaw based the Blade on that vehicle – improving on that specification and the overall package,” he said.
“But given that the 24MY D-Max instilled a suite of updates that directly addressed consumer feedback, it was essential that Walkinshaw based the Blade on that vehicle – improving on that specification and the overall package,” he said.
Walkinshaw has worked on locally ‘remanufactured’ models in the past such as the previous-gen Volkswagen Amarok W580 models, and also a recently introduced limited edition Ford Ranger WAU, of which only 25 will be offered.
For this project, Isuzu Ute Australia claims it wanted to draw on the experience of Walkinshaw Automotive and “further Australianise” the D-Max to meet targets – the brand says it wants the new Blade variant to appeal to “adventurers who tow, modern families, and off-road enthusiasts”.
The changes include a 29mm lift kit with new 35mm Monroe MTV twin-tube shocks that have been tuned for local conditions, plus a new 17-inch wheel with 275/65/R17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac RT all-terrain tyres. Tyre pressure monitoring is retained.
A 3.0mm underbody protection plate, twice the thickness of the donor vehicle’s, and a cross-braced reinforced load-rated recovery point system with a maximum 8.0-tonne load up to 35 degrees in angle.
IU says all the hardware changes have been thoroughly checked off against the brand’s own requirements, including the retention of class-standard towing capacity, not to mention the integration of the changes to ensure the brand’s camera-based forward safety system still operates as designed.
There are a number of visual adjustments, besides the more rough-and-tumble high-riding look, including a new lightbar with up to 325m of throw length, wheelarch flares, blacked-out tubular side steps, sports bar, mirror caps, grille finish and door handles, and there is an array of Blade emblems on the body of the ute.
Inside, there are new embroidered Blade head restraints and floor mats, with the donor D-Max’s standard leather-accented interior trim retained.
As with the existing D-Max models, the Blade – and all the add-on hardware, excluding tyres – comes with a six-year/150,000km warranty, with up to seven years of roadside assistance for buyers who maintain their ute with Isuzu’s network of workshops.
There is also a five-year ‘Flat Price’ service plan, with maintenance visits costing $449 for the first five years/75,000km (meaning 12-month/15,000km intervals).
Isuzu Ute Australia has delivered 23,349 D-Max models through the first three quarters of 2024, positioning it as the third-most-popular utility vehicle on our roads behind the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
