Isuzu D-Max Blade teased as Navara Warrior rival
BY MIKE STEVENS | 1st Oct 2024
ISUZU Ute Australia has handed down a teaser for its anticipated D-Max Blade ute, ahead of an early November launch.
Details of the D-Max Blade first surfaced in July when government approval documents confirmed Isuzu and engineering firm Walkinshaw had filed plans for a “styling only” upgrade that would include an increased height through changes to the wheels, tyres and springs.
Government documents confirm a 26.5mm and 29mm front/rear height increase beyond the existing flagship D-Max X-Terrain, which stands at 1810mm tall on 265/60 R18 rubber.
Today’s shadowy preview offers no additional details, with any cosmetic changes painted out of the single supplied image. The government filing does, however, confirm new wheel flares and a sailplane sports bar unique to the new model, along with a sump guard.
The accompanying statement also makes the Blade name and the Walkinshaw Automotive Group partnership official.
Isuzu Ute Australia deputy managing director Koichiro Yoshida said the D-Max Blade “was a project that was reengineered specifically for local Australian conditions in partnership with Walkinshaw Automotive Group (WAG) in Melbourne”.
“For as long as I can remember, customers and the media have asked about a higher-spec, off-road ready ute to rival the competition, something extremely capable, without compromise.”
The “higher-spec” aspects will clearly be limited to whatever wheel, tyre and springs package will be unique to the Blade, leaving the existing 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel powerplant to provide power.
In this respect, the D-Max Blade will fall short of the powered-up new Ford Ranger Raptor, instead following in the tracks of other less aggressively enhanced models like the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, developed locally by Premcar, and the 15kW/50Nm uprated Toyota HiLux GR Sport.
The previous Ranger Raptor fell into this category too, with its changes limited to significant suspension work and a more extreme styling makeover.
Walkinshaw, for its part, has made its mark in the ute space with models like the HSV-badged Holden Colorado SportsCat, Volkswagen Amarok W580 and the Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme.
Pricing for the D-Max Blade is likewise yet to be revealed, but with the X-Terrain priced from $67,990 drive-away, buyers can likely expect the new hero variant to enter at about $75,000 excluding on-road costs.
By comparison, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 is just under $75,000 before on-road costs, while the Ranger Raptor sits atop the segment at $90,440 + ORC.
The D-Max Blade will be fully unveiled on November 1, with local deliveries to begin “soon after”.
