Isuzu D-MAX Blade 2025 Review

In an increasingly complex automotive world, the 2025 Isuzu D-MAX Blade is a pretty simple concept to understand.

It’s based on the D-MAX LS-U+ – rather than the now penultimate X-Terrain – and has had its chassis, rolling stock and exterior design fettled by the rev-heads at Walkinshaw Automotive, however the 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission have been left completely untouched.

It’s a similar concept to locally updated utes of the recent past such as the HSV SportsCat, Volkswagen Amarok W-Series and Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme, all of which were developed by Walkinshaw Automotive.

At $76,990 drive-away, the Blade’s been priced competitively against two factory-developed tough trucks in the form of the Ford Ranger Tremor ($69,690 + ORCs) and Toyota HiLux GR Sport ($74,310 + ORCs) as well as the Premcar-prepared Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior (from $68,765 + ORCs).

It’s $9000 dearer than the X-Terrain ($67,990 d/a) and about $4000 more than its LS-U+ donor car ($65,500 + ORCs) once the latter is on the road.

Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) is describing the Blade’s price as introductory but hasn’t nominated an end date on the offer.

In addition to its unique mechanicals – highlighted by 35mm Monroe twin-tube dampers and 17-inch wheels and tyres – and a bold redesign – new grille with an integrated 112W light bar, fender flares, tubular side steps, sports bar and extensive sticker kit – the Blade carries over the LS-U+’s equipment list.

This includes a 9.0-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a powered driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, a tub liner, tyre pressure monitoring and autonomous emergency braking (among much more), but not its five-star ANCAP rating.

Importantly, the standard D-Max’s 3500kg braked towing capacity has been retained and the payload is still a healthy 896kg.

Four no-cost premium paint finishes are available: Moonstone White pearl, Basalt Black mica, Granite Grey mica and Sunstone Orange mica.

Being a factory-approved product, the Blade is covered by the same six-year/150,000km warranty as the rest of the D-MAX range, even though Walkinshaw is responsible for the pieces it adds to the stock vehicles.

There’s also seven years roadside assist included in the asking price, as with every D-MAX, and the usual five years capped price servicing ($449 every 12 months/15,000km for five years).

The Isuzu D-MAX is a reliable and trusted vehicle with a loyal following in the dual cab ute segment. It’s not in the same refined league as the Ford Ranger, no ute is, but it’s one of the best of the rest, with sizable off-road ability already.

So making modifications is a risk. But on the whole, the 2024 Isuzu D-MAX Blade did seem to be marginally better to drive than the standard variants.

In reality, its 29mm lift kit only delivers a 4mm clearance increase because the thicker Walkinshaw-developed bash plate doesn’t wrap around the underbody as closely as the lighter-duty factory offering.

Combine the negligible clearance increase with the grippier Goodyear all-terrain rubber and the D-MAX’s pre-existing off-road credentials – ladder frame chassis, live rear axle, low-range gearing, rear diff lock, off-road traction control, hill descent control – and the Blade came across as an adept off-road scrambler on the techy climbs and descents we sampled it on.

IUA and Walkinshaw claim steering linearity and weighting has also improved as part of the development program – it maybe felt a little more reactive to inputs, but nothing marked.

The real improvement of the Blade over lesser D-MAXs however, according to engineers, is its body and wheel control in higher-speed running across the sort of gravel roads you’ll find in the outback.

That’s something we’ll happily test down the track… on a track.

The other part of the Blade package that really stood out – admittedly this is more subjective – is the exterior design.

Sure, the proportions of the donor ute are already pretty good, but the work Walkinshaw’s design director Julian Quincy and his crew have done upgraded the attitude of the exterior without getting cartoon-ish.

The Blade-specific grille – bold but not ridiculous – is a highlight, as are the wheels that widen the stance just enough to help the Blade squat on its haunches solidly.

Maybe this is a vehicle that displays its talents best in the Flinders Ranges or across the Simpson, but its exterior style will also ensure it’s seen in plenty of urban centres, without a smidge of dust or mud on it.

The reality is the 2024 Isuzu D-MAX Blade is a budget-constrained exercise and that shows up in several different way.

Firstly the engine. This is a solid, reliable and honest donk but it’s noisy, revs slowly and isn’t really the best fit for a flagship tough truck like this.

It’s a familiar problem and every other locally-uprated tough truck has the same issue to some extent. The aftermarket – maybe starting with Walkinshaw Performance? – will no doubt be on the case here.

The second factor is the decision to retain a standard springs and obtain the lift in ride height via spacers. Look, it might not directly contribute to what we experienced, but there seemed little evidence of ride improvement on bitumen roads.

The test Blades were unladen, which wouldn’t have helped settle down the rear-end, but the way they bobbled and disconnected over mid-corner ruts was very much the dual-cab norm.

There’s also a lack of significant interior changes but that’s understandable. Isuzu’s been pretty clever in the trim and plastics combinations it’s been able to obtain with co-operation from the factory in Thailand, but it’s still very recognisably D-MAX and very black.

And while it’s been improved for 2024, that means critical stuff like the infotainment system is still far from the cutting edge of ute technology. Sure, you don’t need rotating screens and multiple tuneable configurations, but more clarity would be appreciated.

The instrument panel, however, is a clear step forward.

The 2024 Isuzu D-MAX Blade is an exercise driven by the reality that IUA was never going to get a factory-built tough truck in the timeframe it wanted.

It’s to be congratulated for biting the bullet and plunging into what is – by Isuzu’s conservative standards – quite a radical exercise.

And while the technical upgrade is modest and we haven’t yet established its full potential impact, the styling exercise stands out from the ute crowd.

So should you buy it? Not if you’re after a basic working ute. But if you like your workhorse to be a bit of a show pony then the Blade looks pretty sharp.

2024 Isuzu D-Max Blade Premium at a glance:
Price: $76,990 (drive-away)
Available: On-sale November 1
Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined or WLTP if overseas model)
CO2: 212g/km (ADR Combined or WLTP if overseas model)
Safety rating: Not tested

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