Isuzu's D-MAX the latest one-tonne ute to join the 3.5-tonne towing club

The refreshed 2014 D-MAX will arrive in Isuzu dealerships in December, with slight increases in pricing expected across the range.

Two-wheel drive versions of the tough Japanese ute continue with a 2500kg towing maximum.

Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) said the boost in towing capacity was courtesy of a re-engineered tow bar design, and brings the D-MAX into line with rivals including Holden Colorado, Mazda BT-50 and Ford Ranger, all of which can tow up to 3.5 tonnes.

However, unlike the previous three-tonne limit, towing the full 3500kg will impact the D-MAX’s Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), meaning less gear or passengers in the ute.

Other changes for the 2014 D-MAX are minor and relate to the top-spec LS-T, which gains climate-control as well as an upgraded multimedia unit with GPS. New charcoal-coloured leather replaces the current brown leather trim and a ‘shark fin’ antenna added to the roof.

A number of new accessories are also on the way for the latest D-MAX including a 12-volt socket for the rear tub.

IUA also said it expects the D-MAX, along with the new ute-based MU-X seven-seat wagon, to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating by early 2014.

However, no changes have been made to Isuzu’s trusty 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, despite its maximum output (130kW/380Nm) being significantly less than many of its rivals including the recently updated Colorado, which now boasts 147kW/500Nm from its 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine.

IUA defended its inaction by arguing reliability was more important than outright grunt, despite a ‘tuned’ version of the 3.0-litre engine in the race ute driven by Bruce Garland in the Australian Safari producing as much as 195kW/600Nm.

“So by de-tuning and making it pull from lower rpm (in the production D-MAX) it just makes it super reliable -- it’s not stressed,” the Isuzu factory driver said.

IUA marketing and PR manager Dave Harding said the under-stressed engine’s flat torque curve – maximum torque occurs between 1800-2800rpm – also contributed to overall driveability as well as fuel economy benefits.

“We don’t design engines with big figures just to make a bit of noise. We just build good, honest, tough product,” he said.

Isuzu says the four-cylinder ‘Hi Power’ 4JJ1-TC engine, which also powers the Japanese manufacturer’s N-Series trucks and new MU-X, boasts a B10 rating of 500,000km, which means 90 per cent of engines are expected to reach 500,000km before requiring a rebuild.

“We all know about number wars in automotive -- it’s no stranger to any of us. I think our (five-year) warranty says we can continue to do what we do and do it well,” Harding said.

Isuzu also said it has no immediate plans to replace the D-MAX’s heavy-duty five-speed manual or auto transmissions, despite some competitors like the Volkswagen Amarok offering eight-speed transmissions.

“I don’t know some of our competitors would put so much on the line with the figures they’re putting out, particularly when (in some cases) they’re mated to transmissions that actually weren’t designed for a commercial vehicle application -- they were designed for a family sedan,” Harding said.

However, the Euro 4-compliant engine is likely to be replaced in two years’ time by the cleaner twin-turbo 119kW/400Nm 2.5-litre engine in the European-spec D-MAX, when Australia moves to Euro 5 emissions for light commercial vehicles in 2016.

IUA believes that off the back of the latest updates as well an improved safety rating, it can double its share of the Australian ute market to 10 per cent by 2016.

The D-MAX currently has 5.3 per cent share of the 4x2 and 4x4 ute market with 7324 year-to-date sales, trailing the Toyota HiLux (29,917), Nissan Navara (18,726), Mitsubishi Triton (17,952), Ford Ranger (16,070), Holden Colorado (12,896), and Mazda BT-50 (10,556).

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