While it proved to be very safe for its onboarders, D-Max was penalised for poor protection for occupants of other cars in case of a collision
In the latest round of crash tests conducted by European NCAP, the body conducted safety tests for as many as five cars. As many as five of them secured a full 5-star rating. This included the new Land Rover Defender and Isuzu D-Max. Other models such as Hyundai Grand i10 secured an average 3-star rating.
Shifting our focus to Isuzu D-Max, the pickup truck from the Japanese brand was rated impressively on safety. The 2020 iteration of the pickup truck was revealed in late 2019 and went on sale internationally earlier this year.
Commercial derivative of the model went on sale in India earlier this year while its passenger vehicle derivative is expected to be launched soon with the suffix V-Cross in its BS6 updated form. Competing in a segment that is not renowned for passengers safety D-MAX crew cab is surprisingly well equipped with AEB, standard restraints and a new centre airbag.
Details of Safety Tests
Earlier this year, the pickup truck was crash-tested by both the ASEAN NCAP and Australian NCAP and it secured a 5-star rating on both occasions. Some tests have been repeated by Euro NCAP to ensure a valid rating for the European market.
It received a total of 32.2 points for Adult occupancy which translates to 84 percent protection for adults. For child protection, D-Max obtained 42.2 points which means 86 percent protection for children onboard.
For pedestrian safety, D-Max was awarded 37.6 points with 60 percent protection. In terms of safety assist, thanks to driver-assist functions offered in the new D-Max, it secured 13.4 points with a score of 83 percent.
The overall score resulted in a 5-star safety rating. However, it was pointed out that in an event of a collision, its weight and front structure makes the pick-up aggressive to other vehicles and their occupants, thus compromising their safety.
The report from European NCAP further mentioned that D-Max’s passenger compartment remained stable in the offset frontal test. While overall dummy protections were recorded to be safe, measurements recorded showed weak protection around the driver’s knee area.
The pickup truck scored maximum marks in the side pole impact assessment thanks to the centre airbag to protect against occupant-to-occupant interaction on side impacts.
D-Max Specs
European-spec Isuzu D-Max is powered by a 1.9-litre four-cylinder inter-cooled turbo diesel unit that produces 148 bhp at 3600rpm and a peak torque of 350 Nm at 1800rpm. It gets a 6-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to all wheels via a low-range transfer case. The model tested weighed 2030 kg. This same powertrain was available in the BS4 guise of D-Max Cross in the top-end trim Z Prestige.
