Just about every automaker has an off-road oriented version of its pickup. Okay, every automaker that makes a pickup has a beefed up version. That’s al most everyone except Isuzu.
Sure, there are some versions abroad, but it’s mostly limited edition models. But soon, the Isuzu D-Max might finally get that variant.
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It’s a bit of mixed news, this, as the off-road version might be an Australia-only deal. Isuzu Australia has teamed up with Walkinshaw Group to come up with the D-Max Blade. For now, it’s simply a trademark filing, but there are a few key details revealed by the papers.
First of the additions to the Isuzu D-Max Blade are new springs. It measures 26.5mm at the front and 29mm over at the rear. That said, it doesn’t mean that the off-road oriented D-Max will gain that much ground clearance, but expect it to be higher than the standard model.
There are also a few cosmetic changes reported. The bed is set to gain a sports bar, along with a different high-mounted brake light. Off-road bits mentioned were skid plates and extended fender flares. The latter leads us to believe that this pickup might be fitted with larger tires. No power upgrades were mentioned in the filing, so the 3.0-liter turbodiesel could still make 188hp and 450Nm of torque.
Isuzu has confirmed that it is, indeed working with Walkinshaw group. However, it did not mention any specifics about collaborating on a model. Either way, the documents back up the possibility of a beefier D-Max on the horizon.
