2021 Isuzu D-Max vs 2022

What's the difference?

Utes – especially dual-cab utes – occupy the hallowed turf that lay between being purely a work vehicle and being a daily driver/recreational vehicle. But in attempting to strike the right balance between the two purposes, utes end up being a bit of a compromise in one direction or the other – as in it’s ultimately better suited to work duties than it is to being a people mover, or vice-versa.

Well, some utes don’t need to compromise all that much, because some utes, such as the Isuzu D-Max SX space-cab cab chassis, for instance, are unashamedly purpose-built for work: carrying loads, driving big distances, towing heavy trailers, doing long days.

But that doesn’t mean this sort of ute is not capable of taking on an adventure or two, especially when the ute in question is a 2021 4x4 version of the aforementioned D-Max variant.

So, how does it go? Read on.

The new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain is a bear of a unit to look at but it handles like a much smaller car. For families with young kids, it combines one of the best rear seats I've seen in a ute, plus all the things you want and expect from a workhorse.

After driving this for a week with my family of three and clocking  just over 900 kilometres, I see why the ongoing popularity of the D-Max is well deserved.

This might just be the combo that a lot of families are looking for, and not just as a second family car.