There was a plan. Load up the 2022 Isuzu D-MAX LS-U+ 4×4 with bags, food, the small human’s new surfboard, and the rest of the family, and head to Forster on the NSW mid-north coast.
That was the idea. It was how we were meant to spend our Christmas/New Year break. And then, there was the spicy cough, the virus better known as COVID-19 for the uninitiated. It came, and wreaked havoc, and delivered 7-days of isolation.
Time for a do-over. Well, a shortened version of holiday fun. This time, it was off to Gloucester (again in NSW, but far less mid-north coast). No surfboard required. Everything else including the family loaded up, and away we went.
What we learned from this little experience was to have a backup plan. What we also learned was that the D-MAX is a very capable bit of kit. It’s comfortable to drive, great to holiday in, and performs super well off road, on a mix of dirt tracks, rocks and farm land.
The LS-U+ is a new variant for 2022 and is pitched as a dual purpose dual cab, because it offers premium black leather-accented upholstery and interior trims, while still maintaining its tradie roots, with rubber floor mats, a tub liner, and a roller shutter tonneau.
The last of these is a cool powered unit that seals off the tray area at the push of a button. LED lighting fires up the instant you open it, so you can see inside the tray in the dark. It even has an emergency release in case you lock your kids in there. It’s an optional extra.
Sitting between the flagship X-TERRAIN and the mid-spec LS-U, the LS-U+ 4×4 offers an 8-way power assisted driver’s seat with power lumbar support and a premium-leather bound steering wheel, equipped with reach and rake adjustment.
Perched in the centre of the dash is a 9.0-inch high-definition infotainment system, featuring voice recognition, satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, with wired Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. The last of these had a few moments, and works better wired.
There’s also an 8-speaker surround sound system, which offers some good but not great audio out of the box. Tweak the settings and you can achieve some improvements. You’ll also find dual zone air conditioning. There is storage literally everywhere you look.
We’re not kidding either, with two glove boxes, a dash storage space, pop out cup holders under the air vents plus cup holders in the centre console, decent door pockets, map pockets behind both front seats. The list goes on.
Rear passengers also benefit from their own air vents, and there’s a decent amount of head room and average leg room back there. But, the seats aren’t comfortable in the second row, feeling almost concrete in nature. The front seats could do with some depth too.
Among other cool features are smart keyless entry, push button start (although you might have to pump the brake more than once to get it to realise you want to fire it up), welcome lighting, and the uber-cool walk away door locking. That’s definitely a favourite feature.
Priced at $61,900 (plus on-road costs), it can be had in Mineral White, Basalt Black mica, Cobalt Blue mica, Mercury Silver metallic, Obsidian Grey metallic, Marble White pearl and Magnetic Red mica.
For the full review head over to the Exhaust Notes website here.
Our test vehicle was provided by Isuzu Ute Australia. To find out more about the 2022 Isuzu D-MAX LS-U+, contact your local Isuzu Ute dealer.