New Isuzu D-Max Extended Cab unwilling to relinquish it’s ‘cab-and-a-half’ crown

While double cabs rate as the best bodystyle when it comes to bakkies, the market for single cabs remains equally strong as evident by Nissan’s first-time inclusion earlier this year, of the Navara and Volkswagen confirming a long bed version of the incoming new Amarok for the first time since 2017.

Taking a segment by storm

Nestled in-between is the so-called “cab-and-a-half” segment that rose to prominence at the turn of the century with the erstwhile Mitsubishi Colt ClubCab and to some extent, the original Ford Ranger SuperCab.

A sub-section hugely popular in Asia and the United States, it has in recent years locally, been dominated by the Isuzu D-Max Extended Cab, then still known as the KB, with competition coming from the Ranger and the Toyota Hilux Xtra Cab.

ALSO READ: Isuzu D-Max makes strong statement by outpacing Hilux and Ranger

Despite attempts by Mazda with the BT-50 Freestyle Cab and Mitsubishi with the previous generation Triton ClubCab to stake a claim, the Extended Cab, much like the new D-Max itself, has a lot for going for it, especially after a series of delays attributed to the pandemic halted sales from commencing last year.

The arrival then of a Desert Orange D-Max Extended Cab LSE for the weeklong stay, to quote a phrase, came as a big deal after the flagship double cab V-Cross 4×4 romped-off with the title of fastest four-cylinder bakkie Road Test Editor Mark Jones ever tested a few months ago.

Unsurprisingly, the Extended Cab wasn’t subjected to the same treatment, however, as with the double cab, it did surprise on technical front, which we will get to later.

The virtues of evolution

As much as bakkies have become all about leisure and less about work, an element of old-school nostalgia surrounds the Extended Cab when viewed on first glance.

Despite the LSE replacing the LX as the flagship trim level below the double cab only aesthetically enhanced V-Cross, the styling is more of an evolution than a complete redesign of the previous D-Max.

That being said, the old D-Max kept its own against the Hilux and Ranger by aging with its aggressive and imposing styling intact. Excluding its searing but also eye-catching hue, the new D-Max very much adheres to the same principle.

In the case of the Extended Cab, Isuzu has additionally furnished the exterior with a chrome grille, imposing LED headlights, side-steps and an old-school tonneau cover rather than a roller shutter.

Mounted on good looking 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels wrapped in General Grabber all-terrain tyres, the view of the rear is arguably just as pleasing thanks to the angular taillights and the standard steel sports bar that adds a touch of sportiness.

Work and play meet inside

Arguably better looking as a cab-and-a-half than a double cab, the focus shifts from evolution to revolution inside.

Neat and minimalistic but nowhere as dated looking as that of the old D-Max, the LSE retains items from the V-Cross such as the nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system, the easy to decipher dual-zone climate control, multi-function steering wheel, split glove box, a storage cubby on top of the dashboard and cupholders that double up as coin trays below the air vents.

As is the case with the new MU-X, a few lingering traces of previous D-Max prevails in the feel of some of the plastics, with the piano-key black centre console feeling especially cheap.

On the flip however, it could be argued that this doesn’t matter as much in a bakkie as in a SUV as the overall execution is in a different league compared to that of the old D-Max.

A lot better looking it might be, the infotainment system, which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, takes some time getting used, with the biggest annoyance being the automatically implemented slow scrolling function when selecting media items on the move.

It comfortably still trounces the old seven-inch display and can be controlled via a series of shortcuts buttons at the screen’s base.

For the rest, the specification sheet comprises electric seats, a 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster display, six-speaker sound system, one-touch electric windows, cruise control, rain sense wipers, keyless entry and push-button start.

On the safety front, the D-Max Extended Cab LSE comes as standard with a reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors, Hill Start Assist, Trailer Sway Control, four airbags, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Monitoring.

Down to business

For all its features, it remains a worker and while Isuzu doesn’t disclose space behind the rear seats, it has significantly improved it by replacing the storage box behind the driver’s seat with a compartment integrated the floor that compliments the hold on the other side.

Despite the loadbox being shorter than that of the single cab – 1 805 mm vs 2 330 mm – it still betters the 1 495 mm of the double cab. Compared to the double cab LSE, payload is rated at 1 005 kg versus 995 kg with no single cab equivalent being offered.

As with the double cab, the Extended Cab has a towing capacity of 3 500 kg for a braked trailer, wading depth of 800mm and in the case of the LSE, a handy 232 mm of ground clearance.

Ignition, push, go

An area that raises no suspicion though is underneath the bonnet. While retaining the 2999 cc displacement, the N-series truck derived 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine has been wholly revised in that it now carries the 4JJ3-TCX internal moniker.

At the same time, it drops the outgoing 4JJ1-TCX mill’s D-TEQ designation by adopting the DDI moniker despite Isuzu simply badging it as the TD.

The upshot is that it produces 10kW/70Nm more for a total of 140kW/450Nm. While typical Isuzu agricultural sounding on start-up, the engine is a chem that shrugs off the Extended Cab’s 1 935 kg kerb weight with ease.

Bar a tiny bit of low-down turbo-lag, the engine pulls and feels more substantial from a power and torque perspective than what the figures suggest.

However, it becomes vocal at above 3 000 rpm with a horrible strained soundtrack that, fortunately, doesn’t linger at the national limit.

As in the V-Cross and MU-X, the mill is paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox, the sole option for the Extended Cab as the previous six-speed manual can now be had solely had on the smaller 1.9-litre engine model.

While mostly slick, the ‘box tended to shift erratically on downshifts, especially when the terrain got hilly, and with the same hesitation as it did in MU-X.

Selecting manual mode via the stubby new gear lever does improve matters somewhat, but given the D-Max Extended Cab’s weight advantage over the MU-X, some degree of improvement was expected.

As before, Extended Cab LSE can be equipped with a part-time four-wheel-drive system, but while our tester featured rear-wheel-drive only, the way grunt is delivered to the wheels is unlikely to make much of an impact on the ride.

While nowhere near as bouncy as the setup Mazda uses on the BT-50 that rides on the same Drive Dynamics platform, the ride is on the firm side and though unlikely to matter to most buyers, a trifle too jiggly – more than likely as a result of the all-terrain tyres and absence of a load in the back.

Isuzu has, however, come to the fore in reducing sound intrusion into the cabin. Though still audible, it is a significant improvement over the old D-Max.

As for consumption, an area the D-Max always excelled in, the weeklong stay and just over 600 km netted an indicated best of 7.5 L/100 km, 0.4 L/100 km better than Isuzu’s claim.

Conclusion

As long as the wait might have been for the Isuzu D-Max, the reinforcing of the precedent set by the V-Cross boils over the Extended Cab that all, arguably, is expected to regain its dominance of the “cab-and-a-half” section.

While admittedly a bold claim, it continues to strike a good balance between leisure and work with a good helping of standard kit and a punchier, quicker responding engine that feels anything but lethargic compared to the more powerful units in the Hilux and Ranger.

The D-Max’s biggest trump card though is its price. At R595 100, it is R25 100 cheaper than the comparative and more powerful Hilux Xtra Cab 2.8 GD-6 Legend AT. With no Ranger SuperCab equivalent available, the ball firmly remains in the D-Max’s well-guarded court.