Hyundai Iload vs Isuzu D-Max

What's the difference?

The iLoad remains one of the most competent all-rounders in the business. This highlights the excellence of its original design, as it hasn't changed much since it launched here more than a decade ago.

However, it's starting to show its age a bit, particularly in terms of safety compared to HiAce and Transit Custom rivals which have aggressively raised the mid-size van benchmark to a five-star standard that rivals most sedans and SUVs.

We hope Hyundai will soon do the same with the iLoad, because apart from increasingly outdated safety it's pretty hard to fault. We're sure its army of loyal customers would agree.

Unquestionably rugged, capable, and surprisingly comfortable, the D-Max is the quintessence of the modern ute formula: (Almost) everything you need, with none of the things you don't.

While it's still missing a handful of bells and whistles compared to some of its notable rivals, it's easy to see why this Japanese stalwart punches above its weight in the Aussie and New Zealand sales charts.

Everything counted for, this one (LS in NZ, LS-U in Australia) is even my pick of the range, though I'd be tempted to splash for the X-Terrain (or at least the optional heated seats) if I lived on NZ's icy South Island.

The iLoad is 5150mm long, 1920mm wide and 1935mm high with a 3200mm wheelbase. That height means it can access underground and multi-storey carparks, in which it's also easy to manoeuvre with a relatively compact 11.22-metre turning circle.

No doubt a big factor in the rear-wheel drive iLoad's enduring appeal is its simplicity and ruggedness, combining MacPherson strut front suspension with rack and pinion steering, leaf-spring live rear axle and four-wheel disc brakes. A sliding door on each side of the cargo hold come standard. The large tailgate window, equipped with a wiper/washer and demister, provides the rear-view mirror with a relatively clear picture of what's behind even with the cargo barrier and clear plastic covering on it.

The cabin environment is bright and airy with a tasteful mix of light and dark grey surfaces. The light grey cloth seats with their colourful striped inserts look sharp but we reckon they would also show some grime pretty quickly in a working role.

Our only criticisms are that, like the new HiAce, there's no fold-down inboard armrest for the driver. We don't know why Australia's top two mid-size vans do not have this simple feature, because it's standard issue in numerous rivals and creates a more relaxed driving position.

Our other gripe is the centre passenger seat, which shares the outer passenger's base cushion but has a separate backrest which can be rotated forward through 90 degrees to reveal a handy storage tray and dual drink holder on the back of it.

However, passenger comfort and safety are compromised as the seat is too narrow for an adult, the backrest has no head restraint, there's very limited leg room and only a lap seat-belt. And to make matters worse, the belt's buckle digs firmly into your right butt cheek when it's clicked in. This ‘seat' should be for emergency use only and, if you must, only for short distances.

The D-Max backs its rugged reputation with tough looks, which have been brought up to a more contemporary style for this latest generation.

The signature Isuzu 'kabuto' grille brings with it instant recognition of the brand’s industrial robustness as also worn by its medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

A strong bodyline featuring a new geometric theme for the brand, light fittings and all, looks ready to rumble, and combines nicely with the high ride height, thick tyres, and big wheel arches to sell the idea of this truck's off-road prowess.

One thing I might like the most about the overall guise is how it avoids being delicate. This D-Max continues the simple panel work which looks as though it’s ready to be coated in mud and not easily damaged.

Again, it’s not as iconic a design as the tough American styling of the Ranger or the more refined looks of the new Amarok, but it still looks and feels more modern than most of its rivals, particularly the dated HiLux.

Chrome is tastefully applied on this LS-U grade to uplift the design ever so slightly, at least compared to the blacked-out pieces on lower variants.

Hopping in the cabin and the geometric theme is continued in the seats, wheel, and across the dash with the vent fittings.

It's even mirrored in the little digital element in the dash, where each side of the pattern serves as the temperature and fuel gauge, respectively.

Little touches like this help the interior feel more consistent and thoughtfully designed than the previous (and decidedly industrial-feeling) D-Max, so props to the brand for including it.

It’s also much more comfortable than the previous D-Max, with a more generous application of soft-touch surfaces, welcoming seats clad in tough cloth material, and in this grade, carpet floors.

Ours had thick rubber floor mats to help protect the carpet beneath, but lower grades get vinyl flooring for all your agricultural adventures.

Overall, I like it. There’s just enough luxury and modern features in the cabin for it to be very liveable, while maintaining an honest, practical feel.

The iLoad's 2062kg kerb weight and 3160kg GVM results in a genuine one tonne-plus payload rating of 1098kg and up to 125kg of that can be carried on roof racks. It's also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with a GCM rating of 4660kg (or how much you can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means you can do it at maximum GVM.

In other words, it can legally carry more than a tonne while towing 1.5 tonnes. Those numbers make the iLoad a very practical and versatile workhorse, well suited to a variety of trades and other working roles beyond the usual delivery chores.

The cargo hold, with its 2375mm length, 1620mm width and 1340mm height, offers a total load volume exceeding 4.4 cubic metres and is accessed through sliding doors on each side or via the single-lift tailgate. The load floor with its protective vinyl mat has a total of 10 load anchorage points.

There's no full-length roof lining like the new HiAce but the cargo hold walls and doors are lined to hip height and there's one internal light at the rear. The load floor length and 1272mm between the rear wheel housings means the iLoad can theoretically take two 1165mm-square Aussie pallets (without the cargo barrier installed).

However, loading these could be an issue if fitted with the single-lift tailgate, as it blocks forklift access when opened. And the 870mm side door opening (even less with the cargo barrier fitted) is not wide enough to allow a pallet to pass through it, so do your homework on the iLoad's suitability for your loading requirements.

The cabin has storage bins and bottle holders in each door, plus a shallow tray in the centre dash-pad, two different-sized gloveboxes, a cubby near the gearshift for small items like chewy etc and a pop-out dual cup/bottle holder in the centre console. The centre seat backrest also folds forward to reveal a large open storage tray and two small bottle/cup holders.

On the topic of practicality, this D-Max has a useful and spacious cabin.

For what it’s worth, I like the cloth seat trim available on this grade, which strikes me as hard-wearing and easy to clean.

The seats are also wide and have significant padding and bolstering so you’re comfortable and don’t get thrown around too much.

The wheel is reach and height adjustable, while the seats manually slide back and forward, but have electric adjust for lumbar. Many who use this truck for adventure or agricultural applications will prefer a manually sliding seat, so I see this as fair.

It was easy for me to find my own driving position, and I had very good visibility over the bonnet, out the rear window, and down the side, with generous wing mirrors (which, no doubt, will also come in handy when towing). 

The cab is quite high, so the addition of side-steps in this grade was a welcome touch for my much shorter partner to be able to clamber in and out of the cab easily.

In terms of amenity for front passengers, there are large bottle holders and map pockets in each door, a further two large bottle holders in the centre console alongside the manual handbrake, a bay underneath the climate controls suitable for phones (though finished in a hard plastic material, so things may slide about), a small but deep armrest console box, and a decent-sized glove box.

Of course, Isuzu carries over additional pop-out cupholders in the dashboard, apparently an important feature amongst the truck's dedicated fan base.

Isuzu has maintained physical controls, particularly for climate functions which are operated via a line of toggles, as well as maintaining physical buttons for core functions of the multimedia suite, like volume and a home shortcut.

Sadly, the 9.0-inch multimedia set-up is let down by ugly, basic software, but it gets the job done, and most of the time you’ll be negotiating with phone mirroring anyway.

Wireless CarPlay is a nice touch, but bring a cable, because it isn’t paired with a wireless phone charger.

The back seat is similarly generous, offering solid leg and headroom, and the shapely seat trim continues, which goes a long way to ensuring your passengers don’t have to feel like an afterthought.

While I would have liked the rear doors to open a little wider, in case you wanted to fit a child seat for example, the cabin width is impressive.

The rear seat backs can be folded down should you want to store bulky objects, or even fit a second battery or power converter behind for camp or work set-ups.

Rear passengers are also treated to a USB outlet, dual adjustable air vents, a large bottle holder in the doors, pockets on the backs of the front seats, and a flip out coat hook. Accessibility is helped along by big handles on the inside of the B-pillar.

The tray offers healthy dimensions and in this case comes with a plastic ISUZU-embossed tub-liner, though you’ll have to fork out extra for a tonneau cover.

The tie-down anchor points are also located high on the sides, with none in the base of the tray, which was frustrating as I couldn’t ocky strap my ski equipment down, although I could fit my 172cm long skis in there on an angle.

The tailgate scores a soft-open piston, which is nice. You won’t have to pay extra for a tow receiver, though, as it comes standard on this grade.

Again, the D-Max is also missing a few tricks found standard on rivals, like the Ranger's tray side-steps. Still, aftermarket support for D-Max tray accessories remains strong.

Tray dimensions come in at 1570mm long, 1530mm wide, and 490mm deep, with 1122mm between the wheel arches.

Which D-Max do we have for this adventure test? It’s the upper mid-spec LS-U. At least, that’s what we call it in Australia. In New Zealand, this truck is simply called the LS, although the spec matches exactly.

In Australia you’re looking at a price-tag of $61,000, before on-road costs, for a 4x4-equipped dual-cab model, while in NZ the same truck costs NZ$68,490 (AU$62,993).

Advantage Australia. We also win in other areas, check out the ownership section for more.

Either way, this grade comes equipped with two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels clad in Bridgestone highway terrain tyres, LED headlights, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, chrome exterior highlights, cloth interior trim with carpet floors, keyless entry and push-start ignition, heated wing mirrors, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a six-way manual adjust driver’s seat with power lumbar support, aluminium side steps, dual-zone climate control, a tow bar receiver, and a plastic tub liner for the tray.

In Australia there’s also a slightly upgraded LS-U+ ($63,500) which offers this spec in 4x4 only with the addition of leather seat trim and heated front seats, as well as eight-way power adjust settings for the driver.

It also scores illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors (something my partner took pleasure in reminding me of).

In NZ, this is an option pack for the LS (4x4 dual-cab only), valued at NZ$2000. These are features otherwise only available on the flagship X-Terrain in both countries (AU$67,500). 

Equivalent-spec rivals in this 4x4 dual-cab space include the Ford Ranger XLT ($62,490), Mitsubishi Triton GSR ($56,940), Nissan Navara ST-X ($58,445) and Toyota HiLux SR5 ($62,490), not to mention this truck’s platform-mate, the Mazda BT-50 XTR ($59,130).

It sits at the upper-end of the pack then, for price, but utes are sold on reputation, of which the D-Max has no shortage.

Is it good value? If you’re okay opting for Japanese dependability and a completely under-stressed drivetrain combined with a solid towing capacity, then, for sure.

However, newer rivals like the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok offer more SUV like luxuries in the cabin, a more thorough and modern-feeling multimedia suite, as well as a bigger V6 engine. So it’s all a trade-off.

The iLoad's 2.5 litre four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbo-diesel is a refined and proven performer with Euro 5-emissions compliance (so no AdBlue needed), common rail direct injection (CRDi) and variable vane turbocharging with impressive flexibility. It produces a class competitive 125kW at 3600rpm and peak torque of 441Nm between 2000-2250rpm, but there's ample throttle response and pulling power on tap either side of those figures.

The five-speed torque converter automatic is an equally robust and proven transmission, although most rivals have updated to closer ratio six-speed units. Even so, the iLoad delivers crisp and smooth shifts in auto mode, with the option of sequential manual shifting if required. The transmission's gearing and 2.92:1 final drive ratio provide a good compromise between stop-start city delivery work and economical highway driving.

One of the D-Max's strongest attributes is the powerplant residing under its bonnet.

Re-purposed from the brand’s medium-duty truck range, the 3.0-litre four-cylinder (4JJ3-TCX) turbo-diesel engine produces 140kW/450Nm, and is mated to a six-speed Aisin-sourced torque converter automatic transmission.

Drive is sent primarily to the rear wheels, with a selectable '4H' mode which can be switched to on the fly at up to 100km/h, as well as a low-range '4L' mode.

This new-generation version also scores a built-in rear differential lock and snorkelled diff breathers to increase wading depth (now 800mm).

While power isn’t as high as its six-cylinder rivals, this engine has a reputation for longevity and strength, and just in terms of driving feel and torque delivery, it feels more straightforward than many of its 2.0-litre twin-turbo rivals.

Suspension is delivered via a coil-sprung double wishbone set-up in the front, and leaf springs in the rear with gas shock absorbers. There are disc brakes in the front with drums at the rear.

Important off-road figures include a 30.5-degree approach angle, 19-degree departure angle, and a 23.8-degree breakover. Total ground clearance is 240mm.

Payload is 990kg in the LS-U with GVM coming in at 3100kg. Towing capacity is 3500kg for a braked trailer or 750kg unbraked.

Hyundai's official combined figure of 8.8L/100km seemed realistic at the beginning of our road test which included a variety of roads and payloads, from near empty to three-quarters of a tonne. So we were impressed to see near-identical numbers after crunching trip meter and fuel bowser readings. Needless to say, that's great economy for a one-tonne van and no doubt another reason for its enduring popularity. Based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 870km from its 75-litre tank.

The D-Max LS-U has an official combined cycle consumption figure of 8.0L/100km which sounds a little ambitious.

In my week with the truck I travelled 300km, largely on sealed roads, but with a healthy amount of 4H usage on some unsealed, steep, and snowy tracks, as well as a lot of topography changes in mountainous Otago. 

The result was 10.4L/100km. It’s over the official number, but reasonable considering the conditions the truck was subjected to. The D-Max has a 75-litre fuel tank, and has a diesel particulate filter.

Theoretical range is close to 940km, dropping to around 720km based on our real-world number.

The iLoad has big grab handles on the windscreen pillars to assist entry and once aboard it's not hard for drivers of most shapes and sizes to find a comfortable position, thanks to the height-adjustable seat, height-and-reach adjustable steering wheel and decent-sized left footrest.

The instrumentation is easy to read and dashboard controls are clearly marked and intuitive to use. There's a clear eye-line to the left door mirror but given that there's no blind-spot monitoring, this mirror would benefit from the addition of at least a dedicated wide-angle lens.

In city and suburban driving the iLoad is surprisingly quiet for a van without a sealed bulkhead between cabin and cargo hold. However, tyre roar emanating from the rear wheel housings does become quite intrusive at highway speeds, particularly on coarse bitumen surfaces.

The over-driven fifth gear ensures the engine isn't working hard though, with only 1800rpm at 100km/h and 2200rpm at 110km/h, which contributes to good fuel economy on long hauls. The cruise control also works well and is a big improvement on the last iLoad we tested in 2017.

The 2.5 litre turbo-diesel and five-speed auto are well-honed for this working role. They provide ample performance in city and suburban driving, even though the gaps between five gears are more noticeable now given the increasing use of six gears in rival automatic vans.

Our D-Max was put to work clambering up the snow-encrusted mountains of the Otago region in NZ, exploring unsealed hills for hiking, and heading up to the region's popular ski locations.

The most immediate advantage of having a 4x4-capable vehicle in these environments is being able to sail right past most snow chain stations without having to deal with the inconvenience of fitting the things unless it’s a particularly icy day, and it did get close on some occasions when there was a dumping of snow.

Nevertheless, I was impressed by the level of grip offered by the stock Bridgestone Dueler H/Ts fitted in such low-traction conditions.

And while we didn’t explore the edges of the 4x4 system’s ability in deep mud or at full articulation, you could feel the additional traction at play keeping the truck heading where it was pointed on the dirt, grit, and snow we covered.

While the power figures from the 3.0-litre engine aren’t as impressive as some rivals, the big four-cylinder engine effortlessly pushes through rough terrain with plenty in reserve.

It feels unstressed and the slick-shifting automatic never kicked up issues.

It’s quite clever when heading downhill, with a simple squeeze of the brake pedal enough to get it to kick down and hold a gear to control your descent. Useful in the snow.

We switched up to 4x4 on-the-fly at about 50km/h as we passed 2WD chain stations. It takes a handful of seconds, and is a neat ability for not holding up a column of all-wheel drive vehicles behind you.

Under heavy acceleration, like entering a 100km/h zone, the engine is quite noisy, missing some of the refinement of its smaller capacity or six-cylinder rivals, and there’s a little extra noise and vibration at these speeds.

But at commuting velocity where the torquey engine doesn’t need to exert itself, refinement is impressive.

In fact, the D-Max seems quite liveable as a daily driver thanks to its great cabin features, superb visibility, and speed responsive steering, making it a breeze to negotiate alleyways and parking lots with its ultra-light feel at low speed in 2WD.

It firms up the faster you go, or for those worried about a vague steering feel when venturing off the tarmac, it immediately becomes full of feel when you switch up to 4H.

I would have liked nicer software, though. It doesn’t make the most of its little digital panel nestled between the analogue dials in the instrument cluster, which, aside from the fuel consumption and tyre pressure screens, doesn’t show particularly useful information.

The main issue is the large multimedia screen. It works wonderfully with wireless Apple CarPlay, but the stock software you’ll need to use to program the built-in navigation, radio, and settings is ugly and clumsy, albeit simple to use.

One thing I particularly liked about the D-Max this time around was its ride.

The suspension seems like a standard ute set-up with the coils in the front and leaf springs in the rear, but Isuzu has seemingly tuned the agricultural feel out (like the steering, clearly a response to negative feedback from the previous-generation truck).

The ride is now excellent, proving supple over all sorts of terrain, and at a variety of speeds.

The rear is particularly impressive, with forgiving leaves which prevent too much of the usual ladder-chassis jiggle, and stop the rear bouncing around too much on corrugated surfaces when unladen.

This nice ride is no doubt helped along by the very agreeable wheel size and tyre combination, which allows plenty of rubber for soaking up hits.

The new Ranger may have an even better ride, but the D-Max is better sorted than the current HiLux, that’s for sure.

Overall we’re left with a ute which is as ready for daily duties as it is eating up dirt, snow, and work. Other than the over-and-above luxury standards set by the Ranger and Amarok what more can you ask for?

The D-Max was built with Australia’s strict safety requirements in mind, and to that end, its safety equipment is of a high standard, even on the base SX 4x2.

Modern active equipment includes auto emergency braking with turn assist, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (which automatically switches off when towing), driver attention alert, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function.

Additional equipment at this LS-U grade includes rear parking sensors and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The D-Max features an impressive array (for a ute) of eight airbags, and has dual ISOFIX and top tether mounting points on the outboard rear seats.

The D-Max has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the tough 2022 standards.

Interestingly, in our time with the car, we found on days with sub-zero temperatures and a layer of frost, the front-facing crash prevention items, like auto emergency braking and lane keep assist would not function, as they rely on a stereo camera system (as opposed to a radar) atop the windscreen which cannot focus when covered in a layer of frost.

This would be remedied in a few minutes of running the front defogger at maximum temperature to melt the ice, but this serves as a reminder of the flaws of a stereo-camera set-up, and to add extra caution when the outside temp dips below zero.

Five years/160,000km warranty. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Lifetime Service Plan includes capped-price servicing for first five scheduled services ranging from $356 to $506.

Isuzu offers a six-year or 150,000km warranty in Australia, which is an extra year over a lot of its rivals. But frustratingly, it’s distance-limited, a potential issue given how many of these utes are used by long-distance travelling caravanners and the like.

Count your blessings, though, because our Kiwi friends are only treated to a three-year/100,000km warranty on the same truck.

You can get up to seven-years of roadside assistance in Australia if you stick with Isuzu’s official service schedule and network, while in NZ this is covered for three years or 100,000km under the same conditions.

Australians also score a seven-year/105,000km capped price service program which costs between $335 and $799 per visit, for a yearly average of $527, which you might be surprised to learn is actually more affordable than the HiLux ($580 per year), mainly because the HiLux needs to be serviced twice as often.