By Otsile Kadiege

When shopping around for a no frills, no fuss bakkie, Isuzu’s new D-Max LS 4×2 double-cab might just be the one to consider. We recently spent some time with the bold newcomer which became our steed for a drive down to Ixopo in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Exterior

Outside, the D-Max LS sports the brand’s new aggressive look, however it misses out on some nicities of the higher-spec LSE and V-Cross models. That said, our test bakkie still looks tasty thanks to some styling features. Highlights of our D-Max LS double-cab includes its eye-catching Desert Orange body paint, an aggressive-looking front end design, 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped with 255/65 rubber, as well as halogen head and taillights.

Interior

Climbing aboard the D-Max LS, the no frills theme continues with sporty fabric seats up front, a rather small-sized 7-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility and a 6-speaker sound system. The interior is comfortable, however the fabric seats are quite easy to get dirty should you spill liquid. Also, the touch display is too dim for our liking and the infotainment could be more user friendly.

Safety and driver assistance systems

Safety and assistance systems include ABS with EBD, ESC with TCS, Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, cruise control, reverse camera and rear PDC.

Performance

At the heart of the Isuzu D-Max LS is a 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine developing 110kW/350Nm and coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Isuzu claims an average fuel-consumption of 7.3l/100km.

Driving impressions

Throughout our time with the D-Max LS, the bakkie catered to our needs for sitting crew comfortably, towing and doing some mild off-roading. The steed performed those duties with relative ease, however our off-roading adventures were limited by its 4×2 drivetrain.

Towing a 700 kg trailer saw us averaging 11.5l/100km on mostly highway roads. How does it fair in the city? With the trailer unhinged, city driving was a breeze. Maneuverability is good, it has comfortable and supportive fabric seats and the fuel-consumption dropped significantly to just above 8.0l/100km.

When driving in a hurried manner the 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine has a fair bit turbo lag and the sound generated by the powerplant filtered in the cabin but not anywhere near deal breaking point. The suspension, which was fine tuned by Isuzu South Africa’s engineering guru’s, ironed out most over a few minutes of driving.

Final word

The bakkie segment is highly contested and a lot of automakers are jumping on the bandwagon, giving stalwarts and trusted brands like Isuzu a run for their money. That said, the D-Max LS 4×2 auto double cab, which is priced at R537,500, is still a worthy competitor.