New Arctic Trucks D-MAX breaks cover

Just as Australian media were driving the first examples of Isuzu UTE refreshed 2019 D-MAX and MU-X range in Victoria, another tough-truck special edition was making its debut in Britain – at the 2019 Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham (April 30 to May 2).

Just 10 examples of the new Isuzu D-MAX AT35 Safir will be produced for the UK market, in what is the latest pumped-up D-MAX to receive the attention of European 4WD specialist, Arctic Trucks.

Hailing from Iceland but now with facilities in the UK, Norway, Russia, Finland, Poland and the Middle East, Arctic Trucks has made a name for itself for its off-road-honed specials, which have spanned donor vehicles including Toyota's Tundra, Ford F-350 Super Duty, and Iveco's Daily 4x4, along with smaller pickups like Nissan's Navara and Isuzu's D-Max.

The latest in a line of Arctic Trucks D-MAX models in Europe, the D-MAX AT35 Safir makes a bold statement with its flared wheel arches, 17-inch alloys with oversize off-road tyres, and array of styling enhancements. And it would want to too, with the exclusive vehicle now on sale for a heady £45,000 (around $A84,000) drive away, despite the fact its engine, driveline and chassis remain unchanged.

With the arrival of Isuzu UTE's next-generation D-MAX looming – the new platform representing a collaboration with Mazda – the 2019 models have appeared at an interesting time in Isuzu UTE's relatively brief history.

The brand's existing D-MAX generation was introduced in 2012, and while both Isuzu UTE and Mazda have refused to divulge any details regarding the new platform's specifications or the timing of its introduction, it's no secret that development is well underway.

A test mule of the next generation rig was recently spotted in Scandinavia, and is rumoured to make its first public appearance before the end of 2019, ahead of an official 2020 launch.

Isuzu UTE and Mazda first announced details of their tie-up back in mid-2016, in a move that saw the former add further distance between it and its earlier partner, General Motors and its Colorado, and the latter with Ford and its Ranger.

It was the proverbial 'elephant in the room' at the media launch in Victoria, as was invariably the case in Birmingham, with executives careful to ensure the focus remained on what is likely to be the last update of the existing generation.

Keeping the brand's sales momentum rolling up to the impending transition is now the immediate task at hand for Isuzu UTE Australia, with the addition of new D-MAX X-Runner – a higher-spec version of the top-tier D-MAX LS-T – undoubtedly helping to maintain interest in the current platform.

That will also be aided by Isuzu UTE's boosted 'Service Plus' coverage, which from the 2019 model-year on moves to six years/150,000km for warranty and roadside assistance, and seven years of capped-price servicing. The previous arrangement spanned five years for each.

When asked if Australia might ever see an equivalent of Britain's Arctic Trucks D-MAX, Isuzu UTE Australia's Director of Marketing, Product Development & Sales, Koichiro Yoshida, said such a concept provided food for thought.

"Actually we have a close relationship with ARB and those [other Australian] accessory suppliers," he told Carsales.com.au.

"At this point we still don't have any concrete plans for those, but I think it's something we can study for the future."

Isuzu UTE's local 'special', the limited-edition X-Runner dual-cab, has historically sold well here. First appearing in 2011, the D-MAX X-Runner has appeared numerous times in the years since, packaging cosmetic enhancements with additional features and accessories over the grade trim on which it's based.

The last D-MAX X-Runner was based on the lower-grade D-MAX LS-M, while the 2019 model-year X-Runner is based on the flagship LS-T variant.

Also drawing attention to Isuzu UTE in August last year was the appearance of the Team D-MAX stunt team's 'Concept X' D-MAX and MU-X vehicles at the Melbourne 4x4 Show. Yoshida-san said the feedback the company had received after their debut was an effective way to "draw some attention to our brand"…

"The feedback we received about this Concept X was really brilliant – from Japan, from Thailand [where the D-MAX and MU-X are built], from all over," he said.

While it appears likely that time is running out for a local addition of a harder-edged off-road special based on the current D-MAX – the next generation will surely offer a boost in terms of specification and especially safety technology.

The current D-MAX and MU-X both have a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but lack the latest safety technologies like autonomous emergency braking and radar (adaptive) cruise control – technologies now commonplace in the SUV segment and increasingly common in higher-spec utes.

"Obviously people's attention to safety [features] is getting higher, the expectation is getting higher and higher," said Yoshida-san.

"We know about this, so I think we – I don’t know when or how – need to improve our product in terms of those safety features and so on for future models.

"We cannot tell you exactly what's our plan, but we are continuously watching the market."

In a similar manner, there's no word on what engine will find its way into the new platform. Isuzu UTE Australia has said in the past that it feels a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel is a benchmark in terms of capacity for the Australian market, and its existing '4JJ1-TC' 130kW/430Nm unit – derived from Isuzu's N Series truck – has found widespread favour in Australia, especially for those who tow and among recreational off-roaders, for its durability and low-revving, torquey nature.

The D-MAX is available in some other markets – like the UK – with a 1.9-litre turbo-diesel with Euro 6 emissions compliance, but Yoshida-san Isuzu UTE would be pressing on with its Euro 5, 3.0-litre engine – for now, at least.

"The 3.0-litre currently has really great feedback from customers – they really like this 4JJ1 engine, the feedback is it's durable, with good fuel economy and so on – so at this moment we don't have a plan to change that … the 3.0-litre remains as our main powertrain," he said.

While the timing of the introduction of Isuzu UTE's next-gen model remains a closely guarded secret, what's certain is the significant success the brand has achieved in this country since the Mitsubishi Corporation subsidiary launched here in 2008.

In 2018 the brand achieved a total of 27,640 new vehicle sales in Australia, making it’s the 13th best-selling brand here. That equated with growth of 7.1 per cent over the previous year, with the company has saying it projects its updated 2019 range will help it achieve 28,500 sales this year, and surpass 30,000 in 2020.