Walkinshaw’s take on the Isuzu D-Max has been spied in Melbourne, previewing the upgrades we can expect from the upgraded double cab.
The so-called Isuzu D-Max blade is the first collaboration between the Japanese brand and the Australian performance modification specialist.
It won’t be Walkinshaw’s first attempt to make a crew cab even more rugged, having recently launched the limited-edition WAU Ford Ranger and previously heavily smeared the Holden Colorado to create the HSV SportsCat from 2018 to 2020.
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The new D-Max Blade is likely to sit atop the Isuzu ute range, with an emphasis on off-road performance.
Isuzu has long been rumored to release a tougher-looking version of its D-Max ute, with a government approval filing from July detailing the Blade’s changes.
The filing noted an increase in ride height of 26.5mm at the front and 29mm at the rear thanks to larger wheels and different springs, along with a glider, high-mounted brake light, wheel arch liner and a sump guard.
Axle values and gross vehicle mass (GVM) are unchanged, indicating the Blade’s main rival will be the Mazda BT-50 Thunder.
The Thunder looks cooler, but remains largely unchanged in terms of additional options, with a steel bull bar, fender flares and a sports bar as the most important additions.
Like the Mazda, the D-Max Blade receives a full warranty and a six-year warranty from Isuzu.
Despite the visual changes, the Blade is likely to retain the D-Max’s 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque.
These spy photos show what appears to be a production-ready model with some sort of camouflage. At this stage, there is still no confirmation on a specific launch time.
Walkinshaw has collaborated with other international manufacturers in the past to produce a badass ute.
The Australian brand previously collaborated with Mitsubishi for the production of the Triton Xtreme, and with Volkswagen for various Amarok W-series models of the previous generation.
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