Ford Ranger vs Isuzu D-Max

What's the difference?

Ford has given its Ranger ute range a mild facelift. And mild is the word. If you look closely, you might notice some small visual changes, but the real news is under the bonnet where a new entry-level powerplant lives.

And however you look at it, this new engine that addresses the ownership issues experienced by some Ranger buyers since the bi-turbo diesel engine was released back in 2018, was probably overdue.

But the new powerplant comes at a cost; in terms of power and torque, even though the vital towing statistics remain for the Ranger.

The other changes that come with this facelift include some new tech, and the availability of the V6 turbo-diesel (which is unchanged) across the entire Ranger 4X4 dual-cab line-up.

For this review, we’ve concentrated on the new engine as being the major point of difference, and we’ve driven it the base-version XL trim specification. That means this is potentially the lightest variant, and heavier specifications might blunt the performance a little. But overall, this is representative of the new powertrain and represents the biggest point of difference in what is otherwise a very minor facelift.

Once regarded as rather an agricultural ute offering, Isuzu’s D-Max has become a well-established, long-time favourite of families, weekend warriors and off-road tourers.

The 3.0-litre D-Max has gained a strong following through the years but versions with the newer 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine are marketed as better on fuel. However there’s a substantial trade-off in terms of power and torque against the 3.0-litre (120kW and 400Nm versus 140kW and 450Nm).

The X-Rider, a mid-spec variant, is available with either engine, so how does the 2.2-litre-equipped D-Max perform as a daily driver and, more importantly, off-roader?

Read on.