Isuzu D-Max vs Holden Colorado
What's the difference?

Isuzu D-Max

$36,200 - $80,900

2026 price

View pricing & specs

Holden Colorado

$15,800 - $43,995

2020 price

View pricing & specs

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Mercedes-Benz Vito

Mercedes-Benz X-Class

Volkswagen Transporter

Summary

2026 Isuzu D-Max

2020 Holden Colorado

By Marcus Craft

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.8L

Fuel Type

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

7.8L/100km (combined)

8.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Off-road capability
Eight-speed auto
Reasonably refined on-road for a 4WD ute

Very torquey engine
Nice ride and handling
Reasonable off-road capability

Dislikes

Laggy and noisy
Underpowered
Underdone in terms of value compared to rivals

Basic cabin
Noisy engine
Roll-away tonneau cover is fiddly

2026 Isuzu D-Max Summary

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.

View full pricing & specs

2020 Holden Colorado Summary

The Holden Colorado is a quiet achiever in the ute market: it has a solid rep as a work-and-play vehicle, generally records positive results in objective editorial reviews and comparisons, and it sells well.

But how does a Z71 do as a tow vehicle? Read on.

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2026 Isuzu D-Max 2020 Holden Colorado

Verdict

The D-Max X-Rider has adequate appeal as a daily driver – it’s functional and comfortable – and it’s also working off a proven 4WD platform.

This mid-spec ute lacks the polish of higher-grade D-Max grades, but it may still entice those ute fans who want a workhorse with a tractable engine and don’t care at all about frippery.

Does that 2.2-litre engine add anything substantial to the package? No, and the potential fuel savings it represents don’t seem so likely as the 3.0-litre doesn’t use a lot more fuel than the 2.2-litre D-Max anyway – and the 3.0-litre version only costs another $2000 or so to buy.

The 3.0-litre D-Max remains the better option because while the 2.2L is effective off-road, it’s only reasonable in general day-to-day driving, as it lacks grunt and has to work that much harder and is that much noisier under load than the 3.0-litre in most driving scenarios, including 4WDing.

Verdict

The Holden Colorado Z71 is a pretty decent towing machine, handling all aspects of general load-lugging duties with a quiet reliable efficiency. In simple terms, it kept the whole ute-and-van combination trucking along nicely.

The Z71 is a solid Colorado package all-round with some welcome flashiness to its functionality.

Isuzu D-Max vs Holden Colorado What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Isuzu D-Max vs Holden Colorado
What's the difference?