2025 Isuzu NPS Reviews

They sell and sell and sell, they’re so popular they’re ubiquitous on our roads, some of them may never be used on the dirt and yet they’ve all become the people-movers of choice in the 21st Century – but are utes and 4WDs actually any good for families?Utes and 4WD wagons have swiftly become the go-to conveyances nowadays for everyone from city-based families to mumpreneurs, from adventure-sport loving weekend warriors to tech big-wigs.That’s all well and good but are utes and 4WDs well suited to families?Read on.In terms of day-to-day performance, comfort and practicality as family vehicles, utes and wagons are fairly even.Let’s look at some of the positive and not-so-positive factors of both vehicle types.A ute has a lot going for it as a family vehicle and it has one very obvious major point of difference with wagons and passenger cars: its open tray or tub. This versatile load space means that the extent of your packing is not restricted by your vehicle’s roof-line (as it is in a wagon), because the tub doesn’t have one.You can load beyond the top edge of a ute’s tub if needed, and tall or awkwardly shaped loads aren’t a problem either – think flat-packed furniture, building materials, cement mixers, pinball machines … you get the idea.The flip side of that major positive though is that the load is not covered and so it is not protected from the weather (rain etc) and it is not secure (from opportunistic thieves and the like). The remedy to these issues is getting a lockable tub cover that provides protection and security for whatever you choose to load into the tray. However, those solutions mean that the tub then becomes a uniform load space, i.e. you won’t be able to load tall or awkwardly shaped equipment or materials into the tub unless you leave the cover open.There’s a huge variety of OEM and aftermarket tray/tub coverings (hard or soft tonneau covers, roller shutters, aluminium lids etc) from which to choose. Or you can buy an aftermarket canopy to be fixed to your ute tub to protect your loaded gear, and many of those options are lockable and feature-packed. However, a canopy is not an engineered-at-vehicle-origin solution, so while it offers much better security, water- and dust-proofing than having no tub cover at all, it’s no match for a wagon’s built-in load space.But, once again, by affixing a cover to a ute’s tub – whether it’s a tonneau, roller shutter, canopy, or simply a bit of tarp over the top – defeats the original purpose of owning an open-topped ute anyway, because by doing so you’re instantly robbing the ute tub of its load-carrying versatility.In other ways, utes have come a long away over the past decade or so and, though still wearing leaf-spring suspension set-ups engineered to cope with any anticipated work gear or leisure equipment, they are generally regarded as being at least in the vicinity of passenger cars, in terms of comfort, cabin amenities and driver-assist technology.Whereas ride quality and handling in unladen utes was once severely compromised due to the leaf-spring suspension, those issues have largely been addressed if not resolved, and contemporary utes are now generally more composed and predictable on sealed surfaces and corrugated dirt tracks than they once were – even without a load onboard.Wagons also have plenty of positives in their favour as family conveyances, even as standard, and those may make them more appealing than a 2WD passenger car or van in a buyer’s eyes.4WD wagons offer flexibility in terms of passenger-carrying capabilities because a wagon may have five, seven or eight seats.They also, most importantly, offer families based in the city, suburbs or rural areas the peace of mind that a vehicle lacking 4WD, genuine country-tough robustness and decent ground clearance simply doesn’t.Your valuables (people, pets, camping gear, collection of Star Wars action figures etc) are afforded safety and security in a wagon because it is a fully enclosed and lockable load space, accessible from the main cabin.Another plus in their favour: 4WD wagons have coil-spring set-ups, so ride quality and handling is composed and predictable on sealed surfaces and corrugated dirt tracks.Utes and wagons make great choices as family vehicles – hence they’re overwhelming popularity.They’re versatile people- and load-carrying vehicles; they’re comfortable, roomy, robust and offer the driver a peace of mind not possible in a passenger car.You may never take your family 4WD off the actual road, but at least you know you can if you want to.

It’s been another huge year at CarsGuide, especially when it comes to our video content.

With Australia's four-wheel drive segment more competitive than ever before, deciding which off-road SUV to buy has become an increasingly complicated task.

What is the cheapest ute in Australia?At the time of publication the cheapest ute in Australia is the Toyota HiLux Workmate 4x2. A key reason for the HiLux’s sustained success is Toyota’s decision to ensure every end of the market is covered, from the humble Workmate to the plush Rogue and dynamic GR-Sport. The Workmate 4x2 starts at just $26,475 (plus on-road costs), retaining its title as cheapest new ute Australia despite the influx of new cheaper offerings from China and India in recent years. As the legend goes, utes were originally intended to be a vehicle to take farmers to church on Sunday and the market on Monday. Therefore, they were designed to be an affordable, working class vehicle that appealed to a limited audience.Fast forward nearly 100 years and the ute has become a defining feature of Australian automotive society and culture. The ute is now no longer just going to the church and the market, it drives people to building sites, office blocks, the beach, the motocross track, the local shopping centre and just about anywhere else a modern car goes.As the ute has become ubiquitous it has evolved into many different forms and become increasingly expensive. The popular Ford Ranger Raptor starts at more than $90,000, while the new breed of locally-converted American ‘pick-ups’ can cost more than six-figures, with the Ram 3500 Laramie a whopping $177,950.But what if you’re still after an affordable ute that won’t break the bank? Well, we’ve got you covered. In this article you’ll find a list of the cheapest utes Australia has to offer at this moment in time (December 2024).While the market has shifted more upmarket in recent years, the good news for Australian buyers is there are still plenty of affordable utes available. As the Toyota HiLux Workmate proves, these aren’t from just newer brands like GWM, Mahindra and LDV. Instead, (if you don’t need 4x4) you can get into an Isuzu, Nissan, Mazda or Ford for under $40K.Beyond the usual factors you consider when buying a new ute - price, payload, towing capacity, etc - one of the key considerations when looking for a budget ute is reliability and future ownership credentials. For example, the Tata Xenon was the cheapest ute Australia offered a few years ago, starting at just $19,990. However, the brand did not last long and exited the Australian market, which leaves owners with an uncertain future.All the brands on our list below are now firmly established in the local market, so should not suffer a similar fate to Tata, but it still pays to consider the company you’re buying from and what reputation it has for reliability and ownership in the ute sector.  The HiLux was the best-selling ute (and one of the most popular new models, period) in Australia for a very long time and the Workmate has a lot to do with that.It may be powered by a humble 122kW/245Nm 2.7-litre turbo-diesel, have a single cab chassis and only be 4x2, but for buyers looking for a cheap, hard-working ute it ticks all the right boxes - it can tow up to 2500kg and has a payload of up to 1145kg. While Toyota may have a diverse HiLux range now, it has never forgotten the need to cater to the budget end of the segment, even in the face of the arrival of GWM, Mahindra and Tata with some very cheap utes in recent years. But while some have come and gone, the Workmate has remained.The D-Max is one of Australia’s favourite utes, typically finishing behind only the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in the sales race. A big part of that popularity is its affordability, which is led by the entry-grade SX Single Cab. It’s powered by a 110kW/350Nm 1.9-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel paired with a six-speed manual transmission. While it has a small engine, it has a braked towing capacity of 2800kg and a payload capacity of 1400kg (without a tray), so it can still work hard.You’ll be noticing the theme here is single cab chassis models, because the bed adds to the cost and bumps them out of the most economical ute discussion. The Navara SL is another example of this, taking a no-frills approach and only offering the important elements.That includes a 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel good for 120kW/403Nm and paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. This is enough to give the Navara SL a 3500kg braked towing capacity, which is on par with more expensive 4x4 models, and also a payload of 1350kg.The Chinese brand has made its mark with its affordable range of Cannon utes, which begins with this cab chassis option. It has the same 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel as the rest of the range but misses out on the four-wheel drive. That gives it enough to tow up to 3000kg and the payload is rated at 1050kg.What it does have over the previous utes on this list is a back seat, with a dual cab body and it also gets the aluminium tray out the back included in the price. It also gets some other nice touches not common at this price point, such as an eight-speed automatic transmission and alloy wheels. The Indian brand has been in Australia longer than most people probably remember, first arriving back in 2007. The Pikup has been its staple since then and after the cut-price S6+ and S10 models laid the foundation, this newer S11 has arrived to carry on the legacy of affordable utes from Mahindra.While it’s the most expensive of the five on this list, it’s the only 4x4 and the only dual cab of its kind for under $40K.Powered by a 103kW/320Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel the Pikup S11 can tow up to 2500kg and has a 1035kg payload.

The Toyota RAV4 hybrid topped sales charts again in November, but it isn’t likely to take the number one spot from the Ford Ranger this year.

Here are a few of our favourite special-edition and/or unique ute grades denied to Australian buyers.

Isuzu has launched its D-Max ute and MU-X SUV in Thailand with a brand new 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.It will go on sale in Thailand – where both models are built for Australia – on November 28. The new engine, dubbed the RZ4F, is an advancement on the 1.9-litre R4ZE-TC engine sold in Australia and a likely successor to the more powerful 3.0-litre 4JJ3-TCX.According to an international Isuzu media release, “the new powerful RZ4F engine combined with 8-speed automatic transmission brings significant improvements to start-up capability, acceleration, and fuel efficiency compared to existing models.”It also adds 10kW/50Nm over the 1.9-litre unit it is based on for a total power output of 120kW/400Nm. It is 20kW/50Nm less potent than the 3.0-litre unit it is poised to replace, though.Those outputs put the new motor bang on with the current output of the GWM Ute (120kW/400Nm) and in the ballpark of the Jac T9 (120kW/410Nm) and KGM Ssangyong Musso (133kW/400-420Nm).It also shares the same 2.2-litre displacement as the brand new Kia Tasman, though the Tasman is capable of a greater 154kW/440Nm.Isuzu is yet to report fuel economy figures or carbon dioxide emissions, but it has stated there will be a considerable improvement in both of these metrics over the 3.0-litre engine, which uses 8.0L/100km and produces 207 grams of carbon per kilometre.The current 1.9-litre unit uses 7.0L/100km and produces 186 grams of carbon per km on the entry-level SX variant, which already makes it one of the better performers in the diesel ute and ute-based SUV segment compared to its four-cylinder rivals.For comparison, the entry-level 2.0-litre turbo-diesel Ford Ranger Hi-Rider uses 7.6L/100km and produces 199 grams of carbon per km, while the 2.4-litre turbo-diesel Toyota HiLux turbo-diesel Workmate uses 7.4-litres and produces 188 grams of carbon.Improved fuel economy is expected thanks to the brand’s new eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, which will replace the current six-speed transmission.Isuzu said of the transmission: “The wider gear range, optimised torque, high performance lockup dampers, and gear shift map settings tailored to the RZ4F engine enables improved start-up capability, acceleration, fuel economy and overall performance.”At this stage it is unclear exactly when we will see the new engine option arrive in Australia, with an Isuzu spokesperson telling CarsGuide last week that it was “not in a position to comment on future product plans”.Isuzu Australia said that it was “monitoring reception to the news to ensure any product updates to our local range meet the unique requirements of our local market before introducing any change locally.”As Isuzu’s largest export market, the new 2.2-litre engine is expected to play an important role for the brand locally moving forward, particularly with impending National Vehicle Emission Standards (NVES) set to kick off from January 1 2025.That will see the level of carbon emissions per km capped at 210 grams from next year for light commercial vehicles – which both engines currently on sale fit under – before dropping to 180 grams in 2026.According to the NVES scheme, each gram exceeded on each vehicle over the limit can incur a $100 fine, but car manufacturers can avoid fines by accruing carbon credits for every zero emissions vehicle sold.Isuzu is currently without one in its local lineup, but an electric version of the D-Max has been confirmed for sale in Australia from late-2025 after a production-ready version made an appearance at the Bangkok International motor show earlier this year.Isuzu also employs the 1.9-litre engine with mild-hybrid technology in Thailand, which delivers improved fuel efficiency over the non-hybrid engine.The mild-hybrid version hasn’t been confirmed for Australia yet, but both electrified models could theoretically lower the brand’s fuel emissions average and allow it to continue selling a diesel-powered variant in the form of the new 2.2-litre diesel without passing higher costs onto consumers.

At long last, Isuzu’s Thailand division has confirmed rumours that the brand will launch a new smaller diesel engine for its two-strong 4x4 line-up.

Are you wondering when Australia’s third best-selling ute, the Isuzu D-Max, is finally going hybrid? The simple answer is: not yet.

With the help of engineering firm Walkinshaw, the Isuzu D-Max Blade gatecrashes the Australian-developed, off-road dual-cab ute shindig, as defined by the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Navara Warrior. Aimed at the latter rather than the former, it may miss out on extra grunt, but gains improved on- and off-road capabilities, thanks to extensive engineering upgrades. Is it the best D-Max ever?