What's the difference?
There’s a fairly big change hiding under the metal of one of Australia’s favourite utes. The Isuzu D-Max has a new 2.2-litre engine, replacing the 1.9-litre unit, and it brings a couple of other things with it.
A bigger engine designed to be more powerful and more efficient can only be a good thing, surely, especially with Isuzu looking down the barrel of stringent emissions laws with only two models in the line-up, both diesel powered.
But is this new 2.2-litre engine any good? Isuzu’s gone to the trouble of a new gearbox and some new tech to go with it, so we check it out to see if it stacks up against the increasingly strong competition.
What’s a point of difference you look for in the oversaturated SUV market? Is it price? Warranty? Features? How about comfort?
There are a lot of mid-size SUVs in Australia. Most of them like to trade on their features or value or, more than ever, sportiness.
You can see it in the huge wheels, aggressive body kits, stiff suspension. The list goes on. But not for the Citroen C5 Aircross.
The most recent offering from the storied French automaker is all about one thing. Comfort.
My question is why is comfort in SUV-land such a niche concept? And how does this quirky orange Citroen get it so right? Read on to find out.
The new engine makes the D-Max a much more likeable ute than it already was, which is high praise.
It’s smoother and quieter and makes for a more pleasant drive. The added efficiency is a bonus both for your wallet and Isuzu’s emissions credits.
The 3.0-litre engine will probably remain the favourite, but anyone who test drives a 2.2L might even be tempted to opt for the smaller unit. Isuzu sure hopes so.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
The C5 Aircross might seem like a niche European 'alternative' SUV, but I wish it wasn’t. The more mainstream players could learn a lot from how brilliantly this Citroen is packaged.
It is truly class leading in terms of passenger comfort and even luggage space, even shipping with great multimedia and safety in this base Feel grade.
Unless you really need to be towing, performance (or in this case, lack thereof) should be low on your SUV priority list anyway.