New automatic models for Isuzu D-MAX & X-Rider

The local launch of the automatic D-MAX variants kicked off in Cape Town this week, as Isuzu has identified consumers' increasing need for workhorse and lifestyle bakkies that offer a self-shifting option. We drove the new 5-speed autos in the Cape Winelands.

Anyone in a manual bakkie who has ever fatigued their thigh muscles in stop-and-go traffic has probably uttered the words, “if only I had an automatic!”

Quite recently I had a manual Isuzu X-Rider Black at my disposal for a week, and as much as I love this bakkie, I yearned for an auto transmission in Cape Town’s rush-hour traffic. Little did I know that Isuzu was already planning their launch for the automatic models!

No more tired leg muscles. The X-Rider is now available with an automatic gearbox for easy-breezy commutes.

Road-trip time!

Isuzu SA introduced their new line of D-MAX autos at a launch event in the Western Cape this week. Our test-drive route included the smoothest tar of Cape Town’s poshest suburbs, as well as the most bone-jarring gravel roads the Overberg had to offer. All the new automatic models were available for us to sample, but as luck would have it, the X-Riders were all spoken for, and we were left with the less eye-catching entry-level D-MAX 250 HO Double Cab Hi-Ride Auto on day two, when most of the driving would be done. Not that it matters, having everything under its skin that the much sexier-looking X-Rider has, but not quite as nice to photograph with its steel wheels.

Despite its Plain Jane styling, the D-MAX 250 HO Double Cab Hi-Ride Auto’s suspension and driving dynamics impressed us greatly on the Draaiberg Road and Van der Stel Pass near Botriver. It may only be rear-wheel-driven, but it displayed excellent grip and control around the bends, thanks to confidence-imparting traction control, an important safety feature which also makes the bakkie feel especially surefooted on loose surfaces. The leatherette/cloth cover combination on the seats looked and felt suitably upmarket and durable too.

As for the drivetrain, we reckon the 5-speed automatic gearbox / 2.5-litre engine combination is a union that was indeed well-considered before the vows were made, offering plenty of low-down torque and decent fuel consumption of around 9-10 litres of diesel per 100 km. Not the quietest drivetrain on the block, though, but it’s not meant to be driven like a 5.0-litre V8 Ford Mustang.

The entry-level D-MAX double cab auto is not the most striking, but offers its owner real value.

Workhorses need autos too…

And not just the lifestyle-friendly X-Rider and D-MAX double cabs will benefit from the new self-shifting ‘box — the hard labour-loving D-MAX 250 workhorse bakkie, in extended cab form, will also get the five-speed auto transmission, which has been rigorously tested by Isuzu SA and built especially for Mzansi’s harsh conditions and extreme temperatures.

It may be the least expensive automatic double cab bakkie in the D-MAX lineup, but as a daily runabout/lifestyle vehicle, this D-MAX 250 HO Double Cab Hi-Ride auto, at R435 300, rocks!

The new gearbox is really the only thing that’s new…

The X-Rider auto will have the same styling elements and convenience / safety features as the manual X-Rider models, while the same applies to rest of the new D-MAX auto variants in the line-up: There are no additional specs or styling changes apart from the new transmission. A highlight in all X-Rider models (built from August 2019 onward) is the 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay / Android Auto functionality. Another new addition to the range is the D-MAX 300 Double Cab Hi-Ride Auto, with Isuzu’s existing 6-speed self-shifting transmission.

The bolshy X-Rider will prove even more popular now that it’s available as an auto…

Verdict

As our roads become more congested, the demand for automatic vehicles will keep rising. The new automatic D-MAX derivatives offer fantastic value for those who spend increasing amounts of time in both their work and/or lifestyle vehicles, making deliveries, commuting to school, work, or driving across the country. Isuzus are well-known to clock up more than a million kilometres and since there shall be no more riding of the clutch in these budget-friendly automatic bakkies, they may just outlive the manual models…

Pricing is as follows:

D-MAX 250 HO EXTENDED CAB HI-RIDE AUTO, R403 200

D-MAX 250 HO DOUBLE CAB HI-RIDE AUTO, R435 300

D-MAX 250 HO DOUBLE CAB LE AUTO, R459 000

D-MAX 300 DOUBLE CAB HI-RIDE AUTO, R464 100

D-MAX 250 HO DOUBLE CAB X-RIDER AUTO, R474 700

Every D-MAX is sold with a five-year/120 000 km warranty and roadside assistance, five-year/unlimited km anti-corrosion warranty and a five-year/90 000 km service plan. (Extended cover is optional.) Four-wheel-drive X-Rider models can be fitted with an automatic gearbox as an optional extra.