2021 D-MAX gets five-star safety rating

THE 2021 Isuzu D-MAX has met ANCAP's stringent new criteria for 2020, with the Japanese dual-cab awarded a five-star safety rating.

Praised by ANCAP as re-establishing "the safety benchmark for the competitive ute segment," the all-new D-MAX was comprehensively reworked for the model's third generation with a suite of improved safety features.

Key to that was the implementation of Isuzu's Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS) across the D-MAX range, comprising of radar sensors and a camera system to measure distance, size, velocity and depth of the vehicle, as well as nearby obstacles.

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Included in the IDAS system’s suite of safety features are Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with Turn Assist, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK).

Also aiding the D-MAX in its pursuit of a five-star ANCAP score is the addition of a centre airbag across the entire range (there are now eight airbags in total), positioned within the inner-side of the driver's seat - designed to protect front occupants from colliding with each other during side impact.

The 2021 D-MAX's body and chassis has also been strengthened courtesy of ultra-high and high tensile steel, while large deformation zones surround the cabin.

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“The D-MAX rating has been highly anticipated by fleet and private buyers, and re-establishes the safety benchmark for the competitive ute segment where the introduction of safety features has tended to lag that of passenger cars and SUVs,” said ANCAP Director of Communications and Advocacy, Rhianne Robson.

"All 20 variants in the D-MAX range – single cab, space cab, crew cab, and cab chassis – provide the same high level safety features, technologies and performance as standard.”

“It is reassuring to see manufacturers take responsibility and prioritise safety to provide their customers with the safest vehicles they can,” Robson said.