In my continued quest to find the ultimate vehicle for my dog-owning, car-towing rural lifestyle, the latest vehicle to find its way onto my drive is the recently facelifted Isuzu D-Max V-Cross.
While it might be the same Spinel Red Mica colour as the previous DL20 D-Max I ran for a while in 2024, there are plenty of differences to talk about. The very fact that it’s a V-Cross means it’s a few rungs up the spec ladder to start with, sitting at the top of the ‘normal’ range, but below specially modified versions such as the Arctic Trucks AT35 models.
And that’s fitting, because in 2025 Isuzu is expecting to sell 70% of D-Maxes to ‘all-purpose’ buyers, with the remainder going to businesses, and 45% are V-Cross versions. The firm sold 41% of their stock to what they class a ‘adventure’ buyers, and that’s where I come in, I suppose.
In recent years the mix of sales has shifted from mainly manual to more automatics, but I’m testing the former this time simply because I think it’s easier for towing and off-roading.
What’s special about the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross?
This top-spec truck comes equipped with grey 18-inch wheels, rugged-looking grey plastic cladding, folding heated door mirrors, a swish 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, eight speakers and leather upholstery. There’s also the V-Cross branding across the tailgate, which itself has been revised for 2025.
Other highlights from the impressive list of specifications include automatic LED headlights and auxiliary ‘Lazer’ LED main beams, heated front seats, dark grey exterior styling elements, a full suite of active and passive safety and driver-assistance tech (adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, lane-keeping assistant, traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, blindspot monitoring and fatigue detection system), keyless entry and ignition, automatic lights and wipers, and a reversing camera.
What updates did the Isuzu D-Max get for 2025?
As well as the sorely needed upgrade to the multimedia system, the range gets a modernised exterior and refresh interior design, and an all-new Rough Terrain driving mode that aims to smooth out the truck’s progress on tougher terrain.
There has also been work on the rear suspension to apply additional softness over larger bumps, achieved by a repositioning for the shock.
What will you do with the truck during your test?
I’ve got a packed roster of activities in mind. I’ll be doing my usual towing – I’m planning on attending several historic race meetings with the D-Max, travelling from my base in Northamptonshire to far-fetched locations like Thruxton and Castle Combe with my Sunbeam Alpine on the trailer and my race gear in the boot.
It’s for this reason I’m very thankful for the Truckman rear canopy, which will keep my stuff dry. It’s fitted with a Bed Rug back there too, which is thick carpet that stops things sliding about in the load area.
But that’s not all. I’m also going to pit it against some of its main rivals in a group test and drive it to the north of Scotland for a brief holiday, taking Ace the 30kg Golden Retriever (and my wife) along for the ride.
How much is this Isuzu D-Max?
Having loved life with the previous D-Max and knowing the firm appears to have fixed several of the faults I highlighted last time, I’m very curious to see how this one will stack up, and whether I think it’s worth its £37,995+VAT asking price.
But this truck has also got some optional extras installed, so I’ll be evaluating those too. Here’s a list, including fitted pricing:
- Truckman GLS Leisure Canopy – £2,400.00
- Lazer Linear-6 Elite auxiliary headlights -£560.00
- Over Fender Set (chunkier styling) – £741.50
- Bonnet Lift – £111.25
- Bed Rug (carpeted rear load area) – £482.50
- Wireless smartphone charger – £117.50
- Towbar – £360.00
- 13-pin electrics for towing – £227.50
That means the total (fitted excl. VAT) price of the truck you can see here is £42,995.25.
On paper it looks near perfect for my lifestyle. Let’s put that to the test…
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