The 2020 Isuzu D-Max is the first all-new model since the current model launched eight years ago … it won’t get here for another 12 months.

The 2020 Isuzu D-Max was revealed earlier this month and is now already on-sale in Thailand but don’t expect to see it in Australia for another 12 months.

According to Isuzu Ute Australia: “The new-generation Isuzu D-MAX is currently limited to vehicles produced for the Thai domestic market only. Isuzu UTE Australia will monitor the market response to this update, to ensure that any product updates to the D-MAX in the future, meet the Australian market’s requirements and regulations – before committing to any changes to the local Australian product”.

This is the first new model D-Max in eight years and has been co-developed with Mazda. The headline grabbers are more power and torque and a rear differential lock as well as an 800mm wading depth.

In Thailand, there are two engines on offer which will, no doubt, make Isuzu Ute Australia happy, with a 1.9-litre twin-turbo diesel and a refreshed version of the 4JJ1 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel called 4JJ3 and making 140kW (up from 130kW) at 3600rpm and 450Nm (up from 430Nm) of torque from 1600-2600rpm. There’s the choice of six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

The new D-Max now features greater use of high-strength lightweight steel increasing body rigidity by 20 percent with shear mounts used instead of body mounts to reduce noise and vibrations.

And for four-wheelers, the addition of a rear differential lock and wading depth that matches Ford’s 800mm will no doubt be of interest. Indeed, not having a rear diff lock was one of the main gripes with the old D-Max. Isuzu claims changes to the rear suspension will improve ride and handling but we’ll wait until we’ve driven it before passing judgement.

The main changes on the outside are the grille, bumpers and head- and taillights which are now LED units. On the inside, there are things like dual-zone climate control, large 9.0-inch infotainment system with Apple and Android connectivity. The general look and feel of the interior is way above the current vehicle and seemingly places the new D-Max on even-footing with the Ranger as far as interior look is concerned. In terms of safety, there are a raft of active safety features available including autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert.

2020 Isuzu D-Max Revealed

WORDS ISAAC BOBER

Pricing for the 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 has been announced ahead of the all-new Defender arriving in Australia next year.

Prices will see the entry-model Defender 110 D200 hit the market early next year at $10 less than $70k ($69,990+ORCs). The D200 runs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine making 147kW and 430Nm of torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The entry-level 110 will also be offered with the D240 engine making 177kW and 430Nm of torque which lists from $75,900+ORCs.

The S D240 lists at $83,800+ORCs followed by the SE D240 from $91,300+ORCs, and the petrol-powered SE P400 (3.0-litre straight six-cylinder with 48V mild-hybrid) making 294kW and 550Nm of torque and listing from $103,100+ORCs. The HSE P400 sees the price climb to $112,900+ORCs while the limited-run First Edition diesel-powered D240 lists at $102,500+ORCs with the top-spec X P400 listing from an eye-watering $137,100+ORCs.

The entry-level model will get LED headlights, 18-inch alloys with all-terrain tyres, cabin walkthrough, fabric seats with eight-way adjust for the driver and passenger, 10-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system and native sat-nav, 3D surround camera and 360-degree parking assistance, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition with adaptive speed limiter, and the basic Terrain Response system which allows you to dial through terrain-based settings but doesn’t include the automatic mode on TR2.

The S variant adds automatic high-beam assist, 19-inch alloys, leather interior with 12-way semi-powered front seats and an interactive driver display in addition to the 10-inch infotainment systems. The SE adds premium LEDs with daytime running lights and fog lights, keyless entry, 20-inch alloys, clearsight rear vision mirror, beefy Meridian sound system and the blind spot assistance pack. The HSE adds sliding panoramic roof, matrix LED lights, 20-inch alloys, Windsor leather seats with 14-way heated and cooled electric memory driver and passenger seats and four-way manual headrest adjustment, and a driver assist pack.

The range-topping 110 X adds black contrasting roof and bonnet, sliding panoramic roof, orange brake calipers, rear recovery eyes, 20-inch alloys, Windsor leather interior with heated and cooled seats, 700W Meridian sound system, heads-up display, electronic active differential, Terrain Response 2, and configurable terrain response.

The Land Rover Defender will be one of the most capable tow vehicles on the planet, if the specs are anything to go from. The 3500kg maximum braked towing capacity (350kg towball limit) is one thing but it’s the 900kg-plus payload and high dynamic roof load that will have those who tour and tow excited.

2020 Land Rover Defender priced from $69,990+ORC

“The Land Rover Defender will be one of the most capable tow vehicles on the planet, if the specs are anything to go from."

Nissan Australia showed off its new range-topping Navara N-Trek Warrior, which has been developed, tested and built here in Australia

With the high-riding, dune-bashing, 75-grand Ford firmly in its sights, the just-announced Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior also has cashed-up tradies looking for something special on its target list. With a raft of changes to the (sometimes controversial) Navara four-wheel coil-sprung suspension, bigger tyres and some visual tweaks, Nissan is aiming to offer a tough-looking, rough-road specialist that can also behave itself on the bitumen.

But if you were looking for a dual-cab with more grunt, you might be disappointed. Meantime, you can’t blame Nissan for wanting to claim some dollars back from the aftermarket operators who are doing such big business muscling up dual-cab four-wheel-drive utes - including Navaras - right now.

And just like the Ranger Raptor which lists local development and testing as part of the secret to its success, the changes that take a Navara from N-Trek to Warrior-spec have all been engineered, verified and signed-off in Australia. That has allowed Nissan to claim credit for an extra 40 automotive jobs in this country as the company’s latest OE supplier, Melbourne-based engineering consultancy Premcar, ramps up to start the production process that could see as many as 13 Navaras a week modified to Warrior trim at its Epping facility in the city’s outer-north.

The changes to the Warrior include both exterior, underbody, wheels and tyres and those crucial suspension alterations, as well as incorporating the latest connectivity and info-screen improvements of the N-Trek, which will now sit one rung below the new flagship model. You’ll spot the Warrior by its unique front bumper design which incorporates fog-lights and a Hella LED light-bar (although the fascia is not winch-compatible) as well as a 3mm thick bash-plate extending from the trailing edge of the front bar.

Ranger-Raptor-hunting Nissan Navara Warrior Revealed

Rims have shrunk from the N-Trek’s 18-inch alloys to 17-inch, Warrior-specific rims which now wear 275/70 17 Cooper Discoverers and, thanks to the bigger tyre, actually increase rolling diameter by a couple of inches. The baggier treads and altered wheel offset has also stretched the front and rear track by 30mm, increased ground clearance by 25mm (the revised suspension accounts for another 15mm of lift) and improved departure (by one percent) and approach (two percent) angles.

Premcar’s redesign of the suspension has amounted to changing the coil and damper rates as well as resorting to an unusual take on the role of the bump-rubber. At the rear, the already (twice, over the years) stiffened-up standard Navara coils have come in for their third harden-up session for the Warrior with the Navara’s OE suspension supplier Monroe-Tenneco tasking its Australian engineers with a solution that would improve both on- and off-road manners. At the rear, the solution was to fit a dual-rate spring with even more variance in those rates, including an eight percent reduction in the initial rate, but a 10 percent increase in the secondary rate.

At the front, the single-rate coil now has a six percent lower rate, but the addition of a much longer and – for want of a better term – squishier jounce-rubber (the bump-stop, in other words) means that formerly passive component is now an active suspension participant in the normal range of wheel travel. It’s an interesting approach to a rising, effective spring-rate, but, on paper, that’s exactly what it achieves.

Nissan pulled up short of specifying the high-end, racing-derived by-pass dampers for the Warrior, but did ask Monroe for something matched to the new coils. The solution there was a set of dampers with a 45 percent thicker internal rod for greater durability and a 17 percent larger outer tube which means more oil capacity and, therefore, greater heat dispersion when the going gets tough.

Both high- and low-speed damping was also fine-tuned at the same time and, as with every other change, it was all designed and tested here. As well as receiving a blessing from head office in Japan for the modifications, the Warrior also carries the full Nissan factory five-year warranty.

What you won’t find changed on a Warrior is anything to do with the driveline. As such, the Navara retains the 140kW, 450Nm 2.3-litre turbo-diesel and a choice of six-speed manual or the vastly more popular seven-speed auto.

Nissan Australia managing director, Stephen Lester, said there had never been any consideration given to increasing the power of capacity of the vehicle’s engine. As such, payload, fuel economy and crash-safety of the Navara N-Trek are all retained in the Warrior version.

Mr Lester said production would start next month with deliveries starting in December. At the moment, production expectations were for 10 cars per day out of the Premcar factory, but that “…could go higher. Perhaps 12 or 13 cars per day if necessary”.

“We should also mention that this project has created 40 auto industry jobs in Australia, with some of those positions being filled by ex-Toyota, Ford and GM people,” he said.

And price? Well, that remains a closely kept secret, but with the automatic-transmission version of the N-Trek already nuzzling up to $59,000, it’s pretty clear the Warrior will be priced well into the 60s; a market segment in the dual-cab ute world that Nissan has already identified as one it wishes to play in.

WORDS DAVE MORLEY