Toyota GR86 vs Isuzu D-Max

What's the difference?

If you’re expecting a faster, angrier and more focused version of the original 86, you’re going to be happy with this car. If you’re expecting it to be as fun and chuckable as the first one, you might be upset.

It has a different character, this GR86 - certainly with more GRRRR than ever before - and it still represents a strong sports car option for buyers, even if it is a fair bit more expensive this time around. It'd be hard not to recommend the GTS version to anyone considering it.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

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 GR badges mean a lot, here. Not just because they signify that this is a proper Gazoo Racing product for Series 2, but also because they help you pick it as the Toyota and not the Subaru BRZ.

They are even more closely aligned in terms of exterior design this time around, and while both are good looking sports coupes, I wish more had been done to differentiate the two.

Sure, if you’re paying attention you’ll see the shape of the intake / grille area is different, and it has a different bumper shape to the BRZ, too - and both of them are bloody good looking cars, if you ask me.

The rear is particularly smart, I reckon - a more sporty and sleek appearance than the last one, and even if the tail-lights are somehow familiar, I think it’s a neat rear end. Can’t wait to see who makes the best looking aftermarket rear spoiler for it.

If you’re curious about the size and dimensions of the new GR86 compared to the old one, Toyota says it measures 4265mm (up 25mm) on a 2575mm wheelbase (up 5mm), sits 1310mm tall (down 10mm), and has the same overall width of 1775mm excluding mirrors.

There have been some big design changes in the cabin, though the overall layout is tremendously similar to the last car. It has similar controls for the air-con, a new touchscreen above, and similar layout to the storage, too. 

The interior design is a bit plain, though - the screen is big and colourful, and I’m thankful for that. Because unless you option the GTS with the red carpet, it’s a bit bland in there.

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.

You’re not buying a sports coupe if you value practicality as a primary purchase consideration, but rest assured, the GR86 has a decent level of usability to the interior.

There are bottle holders in the doors, storage sections in front of the gear selector, and a pair of cup holders with a closing lid that doubles as a centre armrest, if you don’t have drinks. Thing is, the one on the car I drove at launch was pretty hard to open with a single press of the button.

The 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is straight from Subaru, with Subaru graphics and fonts still included. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the screen is colourful and has easy menus and controls, and thankfully there are still knobs and dials for things like volume and tuning.

It has the requisite Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring tech, but I had the system lose connection with my iPhone 13 Pro on the launch. (Note: I have a long-term Subaru WRX Sportswagon that drops the phone connection all the time, so it’s a bit annoying to see this characteristic mirrored on other models.)

Below the screen are the ‘they-look-familiar’ air-con controls, with dials for temp and fan. They’re nice and chunky so you can easily locate them when you’re focusing on driving. I like that.

The newly designed folding seat mechanism is supposed to allow you easier access to the back seats, not that you’ll want to be in there if you’re an adult. Or anyone over, say, 10 years old.

I got in there (for scientific research purposes) and found it was, as you’d expect, not very comfortable for someone my size (182cm / 6’0”). My head was at an awkward angle, I had little leg or toe room even with the seat ahead of me pitched way forward, and there’s not much in terms of rear-seat amenities, either.

But, if you have younger children, there are ISOFIX points and top-tether points for both of the rear seat positions.

Boot space is 237 litres - which isn’t enormous. But the opening is wide enough to easily slide suitcases in, and you can fit four wheels and tyres in with the back seat folded down (according to Toyota - and it folds down in a single piece, there’s no split-fold rear seat).

Oh, and the last one used to be available with a spare - this one isn’t. Just a repair kit.

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.

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.

It’s a bigger engine - now a 2.4-litre horizontally-opposed ‘boxer’ four-cylinder petrol unit - and that increase of 20 per cent engine capacity has yielded some good horsepower increases, too. And it has a Subaru badge on the engine cover. Because it’s a Subaru engine.

The new model pushes out 174kW of power (at 7000rpm), which is up from a max output of 152kW on the old model.

It’s the torque figure that’s interesting, though. There’s 250Nm at 3700rpm, which isn’t huge. But Toyota claims there’s 240Nm available from 3500-6500rpm, meaning a long flat torque build-up. The old model had 212Nm for the manual.

Now, both the six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission have the same power and torque outputs - in the last gen, the auto was held back by 5kW and 7Nm compared with the max-power manual.

Of course, it’s rear-wheel drive, and has a Torsen limited slip differential in the mix. 

Toyota says the 0-100km/h time for the manual is 6.3 seconds, which is 1.8sec faster than the last manual. The auto’s 0-100 is claimed at 6.8sec.

Wondering about weight? The new one has four different masses to consider: GT manual - 1287kg; GT automatic - 1308kg; GTS manual - 1291kg; GTS automatic - 1312kg. Toyota says the bulk of the additional circa-44kg increase across the board is down to the larger capacity engine.

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.

Official combined cycle fuel consumption is also a matter of spec-by-spec: GT manual - 9.4L/100km; GT automatic - 8.7L/100km; GTS manual - 9.5L/100km; GTS automatic - 8.8L/100km.

On test, the GTS manual I drove on the road loop at the launch was showing 9.8L/100km on the display after a mix of mostly higher-speed country road testing around Phillip Island and surrounds.

The fuel tank capacity is 50 litres, but keep in mind you’ll need to be fueling up with 98RON premium unleaded. 

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.

Have you ever been cutting veggies for dinner and realised you need to sharpen your knife? And then, once you’ve done it, you realise what the knife is really capable of?

That’s kinda the feeling between the last generation of the Toyota 86 and this new Toyota GR86.  

I loved the old 86. Still do. Would have one in a heartbeat. But this - as the analogy suggests - is a much sharper tool.  

The engine is a big improvement on the old 2.0-litre - it feels considerably more urgent, and it gathers pace without fuss. You can really rely on the torque of the engine more in the new GR86 - that wasn’t so much the case in the last car, which you had to row through the gears more in. Now you can leave it in fourth and allow the engine to do the work, whereas in corners in the old car, you’d probably have elected to downshift to third, maybe second. 

The manual transmission is good, for the most part. It’s easy enough to operate, though the shift action can still feel a little bit notchy (first to second, fifth to sixth in particular in the car I drove). The clutch feel was reasonable, but not stall-proof at low speeds. 

The sound of the engine is a bit more pleasant now, too. It doesn’t have the nasal overtones of the last one - with a deeper, more enjoyable noise. It’s not the best sounding boxer engine, but it’s not the worst, either.

I only had a short amount of time in the GR86 automatic, and it was on the Phillip Island race track. It has paddles, which I appreciate - but the gearbox will overrule you if you try and downshift and haven’t managed to get the engine revs down. Self preservation at the expense of outright fun? Yeah. A bit. A dual-clutch auto would be an interesting development in this car - but it’s not going to happen.

Drivers who live in areas where there are lots of potholes and bumpy sections of road - so, most of Australia, then - might feel the now-stiffer chassis is a bit too rigid at times.

It feels much more like a sports car than a sporty car, with Gazoo Racing having honed the suspension to the tastes of Toyota president and master driver, Akio Toyoda. I’ve been to Japan. I know the roads there are a heck of a lot more agreeable than here.

Look, it mightn’t be a deal-breaker for the enthusiast, but the curious customer might find the ride a bit hard. 

The trade-off, of course, is terrific handling. It tucks into corners nicely, and with the reworked suspension (Macpherson front, multi-link rear), there’s less of that playful “please keep pushing me so we can have some slidey oversteer” character to it. It will drift, no doubt. But in the last 86, it didn’t take much effort to make that happen.

The steering is excellent, with terrific accuracy and weight, and decent feel through the wheel, too. You don’t feel every single thing at the front axle, but you do have a better gauge of it than you might have in the last GT grade, which famously ran those Prius tyres that were part of the reason sliding it around was a lot easier, too. The rubber on the new GR86 is far better - the GT runs Michelin Primacy HP (215/45/17), and the GTS has Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (215/40/18).

Look, it's still a lot of fun. But it’s fun in a different way. I actually prefer the last one in terms of the drive experience - even though this one is technically more impressive in all the important ways.

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).

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.

Toyota’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty runs to the GR86, too. And if you maintain your car with the brand, that extends out to seven years for the powertrain.

The brand offers a capped-price servicing plan for five years/75,000km - meaning servicing intervals of 12 months/15,000km. 

Is it fairly priced when it comes to maintenance costs? Well, at $280 per visit for the first five services, it represents an annual saving of about $215 over the equivalent Subie. So that’s a nice way to recoup a bit of the cost.

There’s no included roadside assist, which you do get if you buy a BRZ.

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.