2023 isuzu d'max review Page 9

The 2023 Isuzu D‑MAX is the dependable tradie who actually shows up early and doesn’t nick your bickies. The 3.0‑litre turbo‑diesel punches out 140 kW/450 Nm, with a thriftier 1.9‑litre option at 110 kW/350 Nm; both pair to a six‑speed auto or manual and lug up to 3.5 tonnes braked with roughly a one‑tonne payload. Ride and refinement are solid for a ladder‑frame ute, better still with a bit of weight in the tray, and the cabin’s tough, techy and blessed with proper safety kit (AEB, lane assist, adaptive cruise on autos). Real‑world economy sits around 8–10 L/100 km, which won’t bankrupt your servo loyalty card. Downsides? Steering’s a touch heavy, the rear bench is upright, and the 3.0 makes more growl than go versus some V6 rivals. Expect new pricing roughly AUD 32k–65k before on‑roads, with 2023 used examples hovering around AUD 35k–70k depending on spec and kilometres.