It’s no secret that Isuzu and Mazda are teaming up to bring the next generation of D-Max and BT-50 to the market, however lips have been very tight across the manufacturers regarding when they will be launched, and any specific details on them. We now know that the new D-Max and BT-50 due 2020 will be based on the same platform, and will be an all-new vehicle. It’s not the first time Isuzu has assisted another manufacturer in getting a new ute to market, with the current generation D-Max being the base for the earlier Holden Colorado.
The current D-Max has been around since 2012, first released to the market in early 2013, so despite the facelifts and updates, it is now a seven-year-old model. What better time to ring in a new model, than as we ring in a new decade. Spy pics have finally surfaced of what is supposedly the new D-Max in black cladding, spied in the snowy regions of Europe, undergoing extreme weather testing. Some have suggested it may be a heavy facelift, however upon further inspection, it looks like it could well be an all-new model.
First indicator is the length of the rear doors. From a side profile, the rear doors look quite a bit longer than current models, which in turn will offer up a lot more space in the rear of the cab. Headlights and front bar look a touch sleeker than the current model, and the wheelbase seems longer too. The tailgate and tub certainly look different, however the rear tail lights appear to be from the current model.
Insofar as the driveline is concerned, it is believed that Isuzu will maintain the tried and tested 4JJ1 3.0L four-cylinder diesel donk, however with a touch more power output over the current iteration. Isuzu have also not ruled out bringing the 1.9L turbo-diesel engine to Australia as a different engine offering, however more will be known on this once the new D-Max is released.
With the new D-Max and BT-50 due 2020, let us know your thoughts on the spy images we’ve seen so far.
64 comments
Hope they are intending to improve the looks of it because that is butt ugly!!
I want to purchase the BT 50 later this year or early next year,so keeping with the 3.2 Ford motor . There is no substitute for Cubic inches in a motor , and these little 2.0 lt motors around these days don’t have the pulling power .Over the last few years the two big changes that Ute manufacturers have made which I think is crazy . The intercoolers have been moved from top of the motor where they breathed well from shorter hoses and bonnet scoops, back to the front which air flow is blocked by Bull bars, lights and so and going to a smaller motors .
Not sure about the looks of this car in the images above yet, time will tell .
Chris
Sounds like another wet blanket.
The D-max is a tried and proven workhorse without the super high price tags of the Ranger/Hilux albeit a little less refined inside.
If this continues the same tried and proven drive train whilst offering a bit more room as a work/family ute then that ticks more boxes on my list.
I am a little concerned they share the same platform as the BT however. Not sure if the BT will become better looking or the DMax will turn ugly..
Will they release a new MUX as well, hoping for greater towing capacity.
If they build it for Aussie conditions with a diff lock, good suspension travel and weight handling ability, then it may be a contender.
Its not a Ford motor where did you get that idea?
Chris, What you say is interesting but I wonder on your experience. Having been towing with a turbo 4.2 GQ diesel Patrol, and then upgrading to a 2015 Colorado 2.8 turbo diesel brought the following results; improved passenger comfort, improved fuel consumption whilst towing the same 2.8 tonne caravan (by 4 l/100 ks), much better hill climbing ability (regularly passing 3.2 l BT50s or Rangers up long highway hills with similar sized caravans).
I suggest you try the current Colorado before making any decisions. Compare the max torque of the two, it doesn’t look much but the difference is obvious in practice.
Finally, the temp gauge has never gone above the 1/2 mark, even after coming out of Mooni Moni or the Hawkesbury bridges at 80 ks at the top.
will no doubt be another super reliable no-nonsense little truck, unlike most other brands currently available… however, they must keep the 3.0 engine!!
Sorry Chris, but you need to do a bit of study on engineering.
The swept volume of an engine is immaterial (ok, there are some working limits) to the power produced which is a function of the air and fuel pumped by the engine. Modern engines, with multiple turbochargers (although that is not the only technology that could be used) are designed to pump large volumes to produce high power outputs.
Saying that a small engine couldn’t produce more power than a larger one just displays an ignorance of the physics and engineering. Similarly saying that a bigger engine is less stressed is, while true, does not take into account the work done to manage that stress.
If I said to you that a Ford Model T engine was a better unit than whatever you drive and you should place your faith in that, well you’d laugh and say, quite correctly, that your engine would be more reliable and powerful because it is a more modern design. The same applies to the new small multi turbo engines.
Similarly, the position of the intercooler is changing at the behest of better engine outcomes. The front mount is simply far more effective than a top mount.
Another chance missed? Why will they not shift the rear axle into the centre of the tray, to make load carrying much better and evenly carried? It appears that looks over function, has trumped again, although it is a fairly ugly duckling.
Are you sure that it is a D-Max? Even a TaTa or LDV look better than this!
Glad the 4JJ1 is staying round. Best engine out there!!! Add on a $2K ecu/tune and you have more power, torque & reliability than any of the 4 or 6 cylinder utes in Australia, even the new Amarok V6 580, while spending probably $10-20K less.
Be nice if they bring something out with a decent payload. Would save people having to upgrade or convert to a 6 wheeler.
Haha spot on!!!
Yep sturdy reliable gets you there and back no worries but not dressed up with all the pretty stuff.
not a lot to go on but from the pics it doesn’t look very impressive, not outstanding for a new model,
They need to have towing capacity same as Colorado for eg 3.5 ton for me to even look at plus 7 airbags.
I hope it has a wider tray, 4 wheel disc brakes and an exhaust brake.
As much as I admire the current D-Max, it’s not setting any benchmarks for aesthetics and this next mule is yawn too.There’s a reason Ranger outsells BT-50. How about adding some muscular arches Isuzu/Mazda!
Do you actually know what you’re talking about?
If you shop on looks don’t buy a truck then.
I’m on my 2nd BT50 & have had a great run from them particularly as a “tow tug”. I’d previously owned Navarro D40s but when they reduced engine capacity in the MP model went to Mazda ( much cheaper than the Ranger). However if cubic capacity is less in the new BT 50 I might need to look around again. The current 3.2 ltd, 5 cylinder engine is a gem.
Simple, I don’t like it.
Needs to be able to allow better towing weights for a 4×2 instead of ‘forcing’ buyers to look to a 4×4. Not everyone wants a 4×4 as their tow tug.
Quite happy to hook the dmax up to my van and do a demo
Looks like this thing still has drum brakes on the rear … REALLY. Constant 4WD + 4 Wheel Discs + Coil/Airbag rear end would have to be in the spec. Might have to wait and see what the VW+Ford mob come up with.
If the engine is smaller than my current bt50 I will be looking elsewhere at replacement time.
Just another 4 cylinder ute trying to tow above its class. Bring on the big yank rigs in RHD from the factory – the high costs of conversion.
Apply the same technology to a larger engine and see what happens. There is no substitute for cubic inches.
Keep the larger motor don’t need a smaller one. Hope they stick with a timing chain (as with the current Isuzu) rather than a timing belt, this would result in lower servicing costs.
Both the Bt50 and dmax have 3.5t towing and have done so for a number of years
That’s another all wheel drive ute, not a four wheel drive! As a long time BT50 owner & fan I can’t see this taking on the Ranger. And earlier comment is right in my opinion, there’s no substitute for cubic inches.
what kind of engine is it ?
Coil rear end with disc brakes?
Looks a bit plain
Zoom in and it looks like leaf springs still on the rear.
All the comments about engine capacity…”if its less cubes than my current bt50 I’ll be looking elsewhere”. Where exactly? Everything else is already sub 3.0l except Dmax? Unless you are getting a v8 75 Series Toyota costing an extra $20k+ which also has drum and leaf rears?
Guess how many cubes in the next model ranger. ? Not many, when will vehicle realise this
Well you are one of the lucky ones John. Read a few forums.
It would be a good idea to know your facts before you comment Neil. They have had 3.5 for about 5 years.
Wont be buying some 2.2ltr screamer try hard wishing to be a 3.2ltr or bigger.
I have a 2009 d max & the reason I bought it was I worked for a company in the early to mid 80s that had Isuzu trucks because they were looked after they all had over 800,000 kms two of them were over 1,000,000 kms & even to day my Isuzu dealer is servicing d Max’s that have 1,000,000 kms on them one has 1,500,000 kms on it & its the some in other Isuzu dealers round the country. Can anyone tell me if any of the high revving engines in the Ranger,BT-50 ,Colorado or Amarok have managed those kind of kms & this is genuine question because it’s no bloody good if it ain’t reliable. As far as how it looks some of you people must have X-ray vision because I can’t see what it looks like under all that black crap its covered in.
bigger car would be better with more grunt and dont think Aussies like same as the poms and give us 1.9l motor like the poms get
What a load of bs, why there is no reason a dmax couldnt do 500k plus i doubt there is any with that sort of km given the first one in australia was 2008, 150000km a year every year for 10 years , yes sure mate
Seems legit, just think of people who live great distances away from anything out in rural areas, or pilot vehicles for over sized truck loads, even mine/forestry vehicles. These may be extreme cases, but not inconceivable.
I thought that Mazdawss tired ofbeing outsold by its rival Ranger
The reason for that was poor looks
Now it will be poor engine output
You simply need a bigger engine and then the people will flock towards you !
More grunt for tradies and towing required more cubic inches and power output
There is ni replacement for Displacement ?
Volvo
Front end looks like a great Wall…ewww
If they stay with the simple interior and the 3.0 motor then I’ll be a fan! A bullbar will fix the front end
Both Ford and Mazda started with the same motor, Ford put a lot of refining into it, Mazda just kept it the same with ALL it’s original shortcomings.
I have a 2012 build D-Max towing a 2.5t van–awesome.
Look at the latest sales figures for all vehicle sales in Australia. D-Max rates well above what you would expect!
Check out what tugs are used for heavy towing (vans etc). No one is using the latest Hilux, Navaras–Wonder why???
Get a Topdog engine and transmission temp reader–you will be surprised/shocked to see how both the temperatures rise at even the slightest hill.
The longterm life expectancy of the Italian VM powerplant might not be what you would be bragging about. How is the engine vibrations at 95-110 km/h, it has been known to rattle the fillings out of some people’s teeth.
Peugeot
Drop in a 3 ltr V6 and they will have a winner
My BT50 (2014) had new motor at 100,300 ks. No3 injector blocked. But that’s Ford for you. I`m for
longer wheel base and 6 cylinders .
power! power! power! 1.9l Grrr, everyone knows these engines are having their necks wrung out and have limited life and are crap towing, why is the V8 Bruiser and various V6 engines so popular?? POWER!
There’s a lot more lucky ‘ones’ than unlucky. Keep reading a few more forums.
There’s a lot more lucky ‘ones’ than unlucky Dave. Read a few more forums.
While Cubic inch is high on the list, for us Grey Nomads the GCM has become a major issue for Aussie vehicles. Towing a 20’+ van and a car topper puts us at the limit if not over. Unless we buy a yank tank we are all in trouble across Australia. When are the likes of Isuzu, Mazda etc going to wake up, increase the GCM, retain 3.2 or V6 and the nomads will flock to you without having to pay $140k+.
LIMITED life ? Please explain any others you know about
The new 2.0 Ranger motor is better than the 3.2 and more power torque
Read the reviews about Ranger 2.0l vs 3.2l
Have a look at the link below possible 2020 D-max uncovered.
https://2020pickuptrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2020-isuzu-d-max-front-view.jpg
so by first looks at this i can tell that one of isuzu existing motors would fit nicely in there just maybe no the 4jj1 simply because it is a bit small… dont say oh these new 2ltrs…. because a modern 2ltr has more limits than a modern 4.5-6 ltr which is what i think isuzu should do get a really big sized Ute into Australia. yeah thats right lets get some ford F150 rivals in this country ha that’ll be one awesome shock to us.
Do you purchase on looks or performance?
Yeah could one tool. Two left doors and one right.