Car news, 20 Mar ’24: Electric Isuzu D-Max ute revealed, Ford working on affordable EVs to rival Tesla, and more

The Isuzu D-Max has long been offered with the choice of the common '4JJ3' 3.0L diesel that Australian outdoor enthusiasts hold in high regard, or the Can the 2.2L turbo-diesel engine find a home in the hearts of Australian enthusiasts, or is it purely a powertrain destined for work-site duties ?

Poor old Isuzu. It’s been a true-blue Aussie sales success story this past decade, trading on our snowballing demand for utes and 4x4 seven-seaters. The Japanese brand ditches its 1.9-litre diesel for a more economical and powerful 2.2-litre, but can it entice die-hard 3.0-litre buyers?

Sling the name “Mate” onto any car model’s name and it immediately takes on a more Aussie flavour. It works for this special-edition Isuzu D-Max Tour If you’re in the market for a towing and touring ready dual-cab ute, the Isuzu D-Max Tour Mate is ready straight out of the box. But does this canopy-backed one-tonner’s value stack up?

Vegemite, John Farnham, the Sydney Opera House and R.M Williams all have a lot in common: they’re Australian icons through and through. In a very similar Isuzu has updated its popular D-Max ute again for 2024, but what is it about these changes that makes this a better ute than ever?

This year’s award for Most Obvious New Model Grade goes to the Isuzu D-Max Blade. It’s a dual cab with improved off-road skills, more rugged equipment and Isuzu delivers a new hardcore D-Max, partnering with Walkinshaw Automotive to create the Blade but does it go far enough?

Those new to the ute world might be a bit conflicted at first. Do they want something practical and built for work? Or do they want comfort and decent Isuzu claims its mid-tier X-Rider is “the ultimate all-rounder” D-Max, but does it fit the bill in the real world?

Last year, Isuzu shocked many pundits when it raced past the horde of other manufacturers in Australia’s congested new car market to become the country’s It’s a facelift without an engine upgrade or new grade to drum up excitement. Instead, the 2024 update is for the ‘true believers’ of the D-Max

Every day, the Isuzu D-Max creeps closer towards the territory of the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger – the two best selling utes in Australia in popularity The Isuzu D-Max is available in Australia with 11 4x4 variants, but do you need to go all the way to an X-Terrain to get all the ute you want?

Isuzu has launched its MY23 update for its D-Max X-Terrain ute. We find out if the next tweaks bring extra substance to the popular flagship

Is the Isuzu D-Max crew cab the best ute you can buy for work during the week and family duties on the weekend?

There’s something refreshingly old-school about the Isuzu MU-X. As a mid-life facelift arrives four years after this generation’s introduction, the D-Max The enduringly popular MU-X gets a significant mid-life facelift, headlined by a new X-Terrain range topper and smart improvements to boost appeal

You’ve gotta feel a bit sorry for the 2024 Isuzu MU-X wagon. Gaze across at its more popular D-Max ute sibling and you see it's being showered in Longer-range economy, quieter, cheaper and still fit enough for most needs. The 1.9L has its positives, but is it enough to sway you from a full-fat 3.0L version?

The Isuzu MU-X focuses on providing huge internal space and safety equipment to strike a better balance for family buyers than its rivals

Kicking of at under $50K driveaway, GWM’s latest Cannon has become Australia’s cheapest PHEV 4x4 ute. So, what are the catches

Upon first inspection, we gave the Kodiaq RS a near-perfect review score – but can we find chinks in this go-fast SUV's armour over a brutal six-month test?

Boxy styling, 137km EV range, rapid performance and an adventurous edge all at the right price. The H7 can’t be ignored, so why don’t we love it?

Thanks for joining us this Friday 1 November 2024. Notably in car news today: refreshed Honda Civic loses base petrol but gets new cheaper hybrid, and

Meaner, tougher and more capable off-road, Isuzu has at last delivered a more hard-core D-Max dual-cab ute with its flagship Blade. The new $76,990 No power or torque improvements, but the aggressive-looking Blade has been developed with Walkinshaw Automotive specifically for Aussie off-road conditions

Thanks for joining us this Wednesday 23 October 2024. Notably in car news today: tough new Isuzu D-Max Blade revealed, Mazda confirms pricing for latest In car news: tough new D-Max Blade unveiled, Mazda prices new CX-70 and CX-80 SUVs, and more.

Australia’s new car sales reached record heights in 2025, pushing a slender 0.3 percent past 2024’s result with a total of 1,241,037 deliveries. The 100 best-selling vehicles in Australia in 2025, from the Ford Ranger ute to the Jaecoo J7 SUV

Isuzu has unveiled a facelifted version of its popular D-Max ute in Thailand revealing a host of changes which are largely expected to make their way to Will a fresh new look plus upgrades like Wireless Apple CarPlay and added safety technology be enough to fight off the Isuzu’s rivals?

Isuzu is refreshing its D-max ute range for 2023, with pricing remaining unchanged from the MY22 utility vehicles

While Isuzu will stick with diesel engines for now, a hybrid option could be offered if buyers show enough interest.

Isuzu has detailed Australian pricing and specification for the all-new D-Max which offer more safety, of-road technology and comfort.

Toyota Australia has announced full specifications and details for one of its most important launches — the Hilux ute. The 2026 Toyota Hilux will Australia’s hybrid king skips petrol-electric for popular work ute as Hilux BEV locked in for launch next year

Few car companies would want to be in Isuzu Ute Australia’s shoes right now. It may be our ninth best-selling brand, but Australia’s New Vehicle Isuzu boss acknowledges the brand’s perilous position as Australia’s NVES fines for high polluting diesels and 4WDs kick in. So what’s the plan?

Isuzu has confirmed it will replace outgoing 1.9-litre diesel four-cylinder engines with a more powerful and fuel-efficient 2.2-litre unit in its MY25.5 String of updates revealed for Isuzu D-Max and MU-X headlined by an all-new drivetrain, 3500kg braked towing capacity and axed manual transmission

After six years, Foton’s Tunland nameplate is being thrust out of retirement to shake up one of Australia’s biggest segments, this time as a hybrid. Set China’s biggest commercial truck manufacturer has decided to give Australia another go with an all-new mild-hybrid dual cab

Four utes filled June’s top five best-selling new vehicles, as the Australia market enjoyed a big bump from widespread end-of-financial-year deals. Ford Ranger top and BYD Shark in top five as utes dominate best-selling vehicles in strong June market

Thanks for joining us this Wednesday 30th April 2025. Notably in car news today: electric Isuzu D-Max inbound, more competition coming for electric small

Australia’s new-car sales results are in for yet another record-setting March, with 111,617 sales reported through the Federal Chamber of Automobile New-car market shows signs of resilience. Incentive-driven? Probably, with plug-in hybrids having a particularly big March

It was a record year for Australian new-car deliveries in 2024, if only just sneaking past 2023 by less than half a per cent with 1,220,607 units. The The 100 best-selling vehicles in Australia in 2024, from the Ford Ranger ute to the BYD Dolphin electric hatchback.