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What's the difference?
Carmakers nowadays are increasingly entering into collaborations with vehicle-engineering companies in order to develop “special” vehicles.
Why?
Well, for one thing, car buyers now demand much more than a mere sticker pack on their 4WD if that vehicle has been marketed as a limited-edition/special-edition/whatever version of the standard vehicle on which it’s based.
And these special vehicles have proven very popular because they benefit from the substantial engineering work undertaken away from the OEM.
You only have to look at the recent collaborations between Nissan Australia and Melbourne-based vehicle engineering company, Premcar, on the Navara and Patrol Warrior to see that Premcar and companies of the same ilk can be entrusted with conversion work, engineering upgrades and the fitment of off-road accessories in order to add real value to a vehicle.
And so it is that Isuzu has joined forces with Walkinshaw Automotive Group to develop the D-Max Blade.
Based on the LS-U+, the Blade was developed locally and among its enhancements over and above the D-Max on which it’s based, it has Aussie-tuned lifted suspension, a lightbar, underbody protection, light truck construction all-terrain tyres and some Blade-specific design enhancements.
But with the same powertrain as a LS-U+ and no power and torque improvements, is the Blade worthy of your consideration?
Read on.
The VW Transporter has been in production for more than 70 years, as its bloodline can be traced back to the original rear-engine split-window ‘Kombi’ launched in 1950. So, during those seven decades, the German manufacturer has no doubt learned a thing or ten about building light commercial vans.
The current T-series of Transporters was launched in 1990, which was the first of six generations culminating in the current T6 range, that comprises not only work-focused vans but also people-mover, campervan and cab-chassis variants.
VW recently released a 6.1 version of vans and people-movers. That decimal point brings significant upgrades of standard safety equipment, headlined by City Emergency Brake (CEB), plus new variants. We recently put a Transporter 6.1 to work for a week and discovered a very capable mid-sized (2.5 to 3.5-tonne GVM) van with few flaws.
There’s a lot to like about the regular D-Max in terms of standard features, driver-assist tech, and all-round driveability – it’s an impressive 4WD with plenty of appeal as a daily driver.
And the Blade is even better – but not by a lot.
Walkinshaw’s work on the Blade has bolstered that appeal with conversion work, engineering upgrades and fitment of accessories and all of those elements are the kind of sensible changes an experienced 4WDer would usually make to their own stock-standard vehicle via the aftermarket.
And that’s a crucial point with these type of factory-modded vehicles: some people prefer to do the research, sourcing, purchasing and even the fitment of mods and accessories themselves rather than buy a ready-made adventure machine.
However, there’s no denying the convenience of a factory-backed and -accessorised 4WD ute or wagon, and Isuzu and Walkinshaw have proven, in the same way that Nissan and Premcar have, that these kinds of collaborations can yield positive results.
Do you need a Blade? No, and an LS-U+ might better suit your lifestyle. But do you want a Blade? Many a D-Max fan would say “Yes!” without hesitation.
The Transporter boasts a level of mechanical refinement, engine performance, ride quality, heavy load-carrying ability and general driver comfort that sets a high benchmark in this category. If not for its lack of an ANCAP rating and unacceptably high internal noise levels at highway speeds, it would be hard to fault.
The Blade’s distinctive look builds on the D-Max’s most recent refresh treatment, in which the ute received new headlights, a bigger grille, redesigned wheels, and three-tier LED tail-lights.
In terms of dimensions, the Blade is 5308mm long (with a 3125mm wheelbase), 1810mm high and 1910mm wide (excluding wing mirrors).
In comparison, the LS-U+ is 5285mm long (with a 3125mm wheelbase), 1790mm high and 1870mm wide (excluding wing mirrors).
So, the Blade is longer, taller, wider (with wider wheels and wheel tracks, and 23mm-wider wheel-arch flares), beefier and more imposing than its standard stablemates.
Also, at a listed kerb weight of 2204kg, this ute is 89kg heavier than the LS-U+.
Exterior Blade extras (all of these are satin black) include front grille with ‘ISUZU’ lettering (and integrated, tinted 112-watt lightbar), front bumper cladding, fender flares with integrated air curtains, ‘BLADE’ lettering across the tailgate, tailgate badging, decals on the front bar, bonnet, doors and tailgate, tubular sidesteps, and a one-piece extended sports bar with integrated stop lamp.
It also gets widened mud flaps, an individually numbered 'BLADE' identification plaque in engine bay, 'Basalt Black' tailgate and door handles and door mirrors.
Inside there are ‘BLADE’ embroidered head rests, 'BLADE’ embroidered floor mats, 'BLADE’ embossed scuff plates, and an individually numbered 'BLADE' identification plaque on the transmission selector surround.
Everything looks good, except...
This vehicle would be a whole lot more appealing without the cheesy katana-style stickers everywhere and the huge ‘BLADE’ emblazoned on its rear end. The ‘Blade’ mentions on the scuff plates and on the front-seats head-rests are about all the decoration it should have.
The decals are shaped to bring to mind the blades of samurai swords I guess, but they look more like ice hockey sticks to me – and they shouldn’t be there.
This ute would benefit from more of a subtle look – it’s chunkier-than-thou appearance speaks for itself, so there’s no need for garish tarting up of any sort.
Our test vehicle’s 3400mm wheelbase is 400mm longer than the standard model, resulting in a corresponding increase in overall vehicle length to 5304mm and a 300mm increase in turning circle to 13.2 metres.
Its 1904mm width is an easy fit in most loading zones and the standard roof’s 1990mm height means it can access most underground and multi-storey carparks which typically cap vehicle heights under 2.2 metres. It comes standard with a kerbside cargo bay sliding door and single-lift tailgate.
The well-developed front wheel-drive chassis is simple and robust with MacPherson strut front suspension and semi-trailing arm coil-spring rear suspension, the latter equipped with stout rubber cones inside the spring coils to provide a second stage of support under heavy loads. Optional heavy-duty and rough road suspension packages are also available. Brakes are four-wheel discs.
You can always pick a van designed for hard work by the amount of black plastic in body areas prone to high wear and/or scrapes, chips and dents and the Transporter has most of those covered, including the front and rear bumpers, lower rear pillars, hubcaps, door handles and mirrors.
The cabin has a back-to-basics look and feel as highlighted by numerous plastic caps blanking dashboard slots where switches are fitted to higher-equipped models. However, it has most of what you need and none of what you don’t for this working role. Even so, the lack of fold-down inboard armrests and a driver’s left footrest are notable omissions and both would be welcome for long stints behind the wheel.
Isuzu could never be accused of ever sacrificing substance for style in the D-Max and that remains true in the Blade.
Not a lot separates the LS-U+ and Blade in terms of functionality or comfort because they share essentially the same interior with only a few differences.
The interior here is at heart a workhorse’s cabin with no fancy-schmancy elements that might spoil this ute’s primary purpose: work … and a fair dose of play, of course.
The latest round of D-Max upgrades brought with it enhanced interior materials, a new 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system as well as upgraded functionality across all dash tech, and more charging spots for smart devices.
And the Blade treatment doesn’t add anything other than the aforementioned style tweaks to that – which is fine.
The cabin has a pleasantly familiar feel about it and it’s an easy space in which to swiftly become comfortable and to figure out where all controls are (on-screen and real switches, buttons and dials) and how to use them.
The interior is adequately spacious with nicely supportive seats upfront and a reasonably comfortable bench-style pew for the three people at the rear.
The Blade has leather-accented upholstery, but there are expanses of durable plastic surfaces to cope with real-life mess.
Charging options are numerous – a mix of USB-A, USB-C and 12V upfront, and USB-A for the second row – and storage places include recesses for your everyday carry gear, a suitably deep centre console, as well as dual cupholders upfront and cupholders in the fold-down armrest, and bottle holders in the doors.
Back-row passengers get USB ports, directional air-con vents and shallow under-seat storage.
The tub is 1570mm long (at floor level), 1530mm wide (1122mm between the wheel-arches) and 490mm deep. It is a double-walled tub, with an under-rail tub liner, two cargo tie-down points, and it has tailgate assist.
Tub options for D-Max owners include a tonneau or roller cover (which offers at least some degree of security from thieves, and protection from rain, mud, snow etc), or an Isuzu or aftermarket canopy, although a canopy impacts the versatility of the load space because once it’s an enclosed area it makes it more difficult to carry long, awkward and/or large loads in the tub.
With its 1865kg tare weight and 3000kg GVM, our test vehicle has a genuine one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1135kg and up to150kg of that can be carried on the roof. It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer but that would require a sizeable 583kg reduction in payload to avoid exceeding the 4917kg GCM or Gross Combination Mass, which is how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time. Or you could keep the full payload and reduce the towing limit instead, from 2500kg to 1917kg, which may be a more useful compromise depending on work requirements.
The cargo bay, which offers 5.0 cubic metres of load volume, is 2975mm long, 1700mm wide and 1410mm high with 1244mm between the rear wheel housings. That means it can carry two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets, or up to three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, secured by a choice of eight load-anchorage points. However, the single-lift tailgate could make rear forklift access tricky, depending on forklift design and reach. The sliding door has a generous 1017mm opening for kerbside loading.
Although the load floor is bare and there’s no standard cargo protection for driver and passenger (optional rubber load floor mats and cargo barriers are available), the cargo bay walls and doors are lined to mid-height and the roof is also lined, with two roof lights providing ample illumination.
Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and huge storage bin in each front door, with a narrower second-tier storage shelf above which is ideal for holding smaller items like wallets, keys etc.
The dash provides another small-items cubby to the right of the steering wheel and the top dash-pad has small-bottle/cup holders at each end plus a steeply-angled open tray on the driver’s side which is ideal for storing clipboards, paperwork etc.
There’s no overhead sun-glasses holder but the passenger side of the dash offers two tiers of open storage and a large glovebox, plus another small-bottle/cup holder to the left of the gearshift console. An overhead storage shelf would be handy, given that there’s no centre console.
The D-Max Blade has a national drive-away price of $76,990 ($78,900 RRP) at the time of writing (early Feb 2025), so it’s now the most expensive D-Max available, costing about $9000 more than the line-up’s former big Kohuna, the X-Terrain.
It’s also about $15,000 more than the mid-range LS-U+ on which it’s based.
Our test vehicle had a few extras onboard including the no-cost option premium paint (Sunstone Orange), a tow bar tongue ($215.05), 12-pin plug ($393.25), and an electronic brake controller ($896.05). Those extras fitted at the time of sale attract stamp duty of $80.85.
Price as tested, according to Isuzu, is $78,687.85.
Standard D-Max features include a 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system display (with wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, leather-accented upholstery, heated front seats, reversing camera with dynamic guidelines, a rear-diff lock, Rough Terrain mode and more.
Blade extras of substance include lifted suspension (finished in Isuzu red), 3mm-think steel bash plate underbody protection (in Isuzu red), eight-tonne load rated recovery points with cross-bracing, (finished in Isuzu red), and satin black 17x8.5-inch +28 flow-formed alloy wheels with 275/65R17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac RT all-terrain tyres.
It also gets a stack of design-related extras which will get a mention in the Design section (below).
Exterior paint choices include 'Moonstone White' pearl, 'Basalt Black' mica, 'Granite Grey' mica or 'Sunstone Orange' mica.
Our test vehicle is the long wheelbase variant with standard roof height, TDI340 turbo-diesel engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for RRP $47,990. This compares to higher-selling mid-sized turbo-diesel rivals like the Ford Transit Custom LWB 340L with six-speed auto ($47,590), Hyundai iLoad with six-speed auto ($42,710) and segment-leading Toyota HiAce LWB with six-speed auto ($45,240).
It's basic and work-focused as you’d expect, from its 16-inch steel wheels and 205/65R 16C tyres with full-size spare to its cloth seats and tough rubber floor covering in the cabin. However, that doesn’t mean you miss out on some useful and welcome creature comforts, like a leather-covered steering wheel with height/reach adjustment and infotainment controls, driver’s seat adjustable lumbar support, halogen daytime running lights (DRL), rain-sensing wipers, heated tailgate window with washer/wiper, multi-function driver’s display, four-speaker infotainment system with 6.5-inch touchscreen and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto plus lots of standard safety tech.
There’s also heaps of factory options available to help tailor a Transporter to suit an owner’s specific requirements including different cargo bay door and window configurations (including twin rear barn-doors), front passenger bench seat with under-seat storage, higher-spec infotainment systems and lots more.
The D-Max Blade has the D-Max line-up’s 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 140kW at 3600rpm and 450Nm from 1600 to 2600rpm – and it’s matched to a six-speed auto.
Just to be clear: the Blade does not have any power or torque advantages over the standard D-Max.
This engine and auto combination form part of a proven powertrain and while this ute is sluggish when accelerating and it’s not the most dynamic vehicle to drive, the D-Max has a real tractability about it that negates most other flaws.
It has part-time 4WD, with high- and low-range. Driver-assist tech, such as rough terrain mode, has been tweaked with the aim of making Isuzu 4WDs perform off-road even better than before.
This engine and transmission combination is the jewel in the Transporter crown with its energetic, flexible and efficient performance. The 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, direct-injection TDI340 turbo-diesel meets Euro 6 emissions using AdBlue and produces 110kW between 3250-3750rpm and 340Nm of torque across a 1500rpm-wide torque band between 1500-3000rpm.
The closely-spaced ratios in the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic are tailored to get the most out of this willing engine, with crisp and virtually seamless shifting. It also offers the choice of manual sequential-shifting, when hauling heavy loads in hilly terrain or simply for those wanting a more ‘sporting’ driving experience, but the seven-speeder usually does its best work when left to its own devices.
Official fuel consumption for this D-Max is 8.0L/100km on a combined cycle.
Actual fuel consumption on this test, from pump to pump, was 10.6L/100km for the D-Max.
The D-Max has a 76-litre fuel tank so, going by those fuel consumption figures, you should be able to get a driving range of about 717km from a full tank.
We covered 283km (with auto start/stop disabled) which included about one third of that distance with a maximum payload. The dash display was claiming an average combined consumption of 8.1L/100km when we stopped to top-up the 80-litre tank. Our own figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings came in even lower at 7.7 and both undercut VW’s official combined figure of 8.3L/100km. Needless to say, that’s outstanding real-world economy, which based on our figures should deliver a huge driving range of 900-1000km from its sizeable 80-litre tank. Possibly even further with auto start/stop enabled.
The D-Max has never been a stand-out performer on-road in the ute segment, but it’s never been atrocious either.
The engine and auto combination yield a solid drivability rather than any liveliness, which works fine in this ute package.
Suffice to say, the D-Max is consistently middle of the pack when it comes to ride and handling or refinement comparisons, but again that suits this ute package.
Besides, the D-Max is a body-on-frame ute with leaf spring rear suspension, so it can’t be expected to produce sportscar-like driving qualities, though the most recent upgrades to the D-Max did improve the steering and driver-assist tech.
But then came the Blade project, which wasn’t about improving the ute’s around-town driveability: Isuzu brought in the Walkinshaw Automotive Group, one of Australia’s leading automotive engineering firms, to make a version of the D-Max that was even better at off-roading than the standard unmodified D-Max.
Boiling down thousands of kilometres and man-hours of Walkinshaw’s work on the Blade into the most salient points for this yarn does not accurately reflect the effort of those involved in the years-long process … but here goes anyway: Walkinshaw has designed, engineered and remanufactured some of Australia’s most iconic nameplates, and, while the Blade reworking doesn’t introduce any new mechanical or driver-assist tech set-ups to the D-Max package, the introduction of new all-terrain tyres, wider wheel track and Aussie-tuned suspension (including Monroe 35mm MTV twin-tube dampers with lifted spring seats) has added a welcome measure of composure to this ute’s on-road behaviour.
And Isuzu big wigs must be feeling a bit chuffed at this point in time because Walkinshaw’s off-road mods have produced real results where they count most: off-road.
The standard D-Max in LS-U+ guise is an impressive 4WD ute, but the Blade version is a touch better on a variety of terrain for a number of reasons.
For starters, the Blade’s Walkinshaw-developed suspension set-up, with those 35mm twin-tube dampers in the mix, yields a more agreeable drive, with more comfort and better chassis control than a regular D-Max on fast dirt tracks and corrugated gravel roads. It manages to subdue most of the lumps and bumps you’re bound to drive over on your way to a beach- or bush-camping destination.
The Blade’s wheel track – at 1602mm, 32mm wider than the LS-U+’s 1570mm – gives this ute a slightly more planted posture than its standard stablemate for improved stability and handling.
And while the Blade’s tyres aren’t gung-ho mud-terrains or something similar, its 275/65R17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac RT all-terrain tyres do work sufficiently well on-road and off.
For low-range 4WDing, the Blade has all of the D-Max good stuff – including a tractable engine with plenty of low-down torque and a recalibrated off-road traction control (part of the most recent D-Max upgrades) – but its ground clearance (244mm vs the LS-U+’s 240mm) and off-road angles (29.2° approach, 19.2° departure and 25.2° breakover vs the LS-U+’s 30.5°, 19.0°, and 23.8°) don’t represent as much of an improvement over its stablemate as you’d expect in a vehicle touted by Isuzu as “an off-road ute without compromise” and “an unparalleled combination of off-road performance and rugged reliability”.
The Blade feels vulnerable to underbody knocks from rocks and the like, but it has 3mm-thick steel bash plate protection so there’s no need to lose any sleep over a few ‘rubbing dirt’ moments.
Its tubular sidesteps at least seem hardier than the standard D-Max’s sidesteps and seem able to cop knocks from rocks without crumpling.
If there’s any need for a vehicle recovery, the Blade has eight-tonne load-rated recovery points (with bracing between chassis rails for torsional rigidity) to work with.
Also, if you’re thinking about using your Blade as a touring platform, at a listed kerb weight of 2204kg, it is 89kg heavier than the LS-U+, and its payload is 896kg (down form the LS-U+’s 990kg). GVM is 3100kg, GCM is 6000kg.
Towing capacities remain at 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).
Four-coil suspension provides a noticeably supple unladen ride quality, which is impressive for a commercial vehicle with a one-tonne payload rating. It also feels sure-footed and well planted on the road, particular on the many wet roads we encountered during a rain-affected week of testing.
With its upright steering wheel angle and nicely-weighted steering feel, it offers a comfortable almost car-like driving experience. The driver’s seat has height, backrest rake and lumbar adjustment; there’s no rake adjustment for the base cushion but it doesn’t really need it. There are also clear eyelines to all mirrors, a nicely-positioned gearshift and an uncluttered dashboard/instrument layout that’s easy to read and operate.
The 2.0 litre turbo-diesel has energetic response in its peak torque band between 1500-3000rpm, where most city and suburban driving occurs. Snappy, seamless up-shifting occurs between 1500-2000rpm, providing brisk acceleration with excellent fuel economy. At highway speeds, good gearing ensures the engine needs only 1800rpm to maintain 100km/h and 1900rpm at 110km/h.
We only have two criticisms. One is the size and limited wide-angle effect of the left-side mirror, given the huge blind-spot that a solid-walled long wheelbase van like this creates over the driver’s left shoulder. Although the Transporter is (thankfully) equipped with blind-spot monitoring, a larger kerbside mirror with a more convex shape to increase its angle of view would be welcome.
The other is high internal noise levels at highway speeds emanating from the rear wheel housings. On some grades of coarse bitumen it can sound like the roar of a jet engine, which is too loud for sustained periods and could be a deal-breaker if you do a lot of highway work. We have recently tested rival vans without cabin bulkheads which have appreciably lower cargo bay noise levels at similar speeds (most notably a Chinese brand), so it can be done.
The D-Max has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
As standard, it has auto emergency braking (AEB), eight airbags (dual front, curtain, side, driver's knee and far side) and a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, a tyre-pressure monitoring system and a raft of other driver-assist tech.
Isuzu's Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS) also includes AEB with turn assist, 'Intelligent' adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane departure prevention, lane keeping assist, emergency lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear cross-traffic brake, digital reversing camera and trailer sway control.
There's no ANCAP rating but the Transporter 6.1 adds to an already extensive list of active and passive safety with the following features now standard: front assist with city emergency braking (aka low-speed AEB), crosswind assist, side-assist including blind-spot monitoring/rear cross-traffic alert and multi-collision brake. There’s also driver and passenger front and side curtain airbags plus lots more.
The D-Max has a six-year/150,000km warranty and seven years of roadside assistance when you have your D-Max always serviced at a participating Isuzu ute dealer. That warranty is okay in terms of years, but unlimited kilometres would be a welcome sweetener.
Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest.
Capped-price servicing covers the first five scheduled services for 24MY and later vehicle models (up to five years/75,000km - whichever occurs first) – at a flat price of $449 for each service.
Five years/unlimited km warranty with 12 months complimentary roadside assist. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing for first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km of $3082.