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The collaboration between Isuzu UTE Australia and Walkinshaw Performance could produce another hero variant to join the D-MAX Blade, with speculation mounting that the Japanese marque has an MU-X Blade in the works.
While hesitant to confirm any future product, Isuzu UTE Australia’s Deputy General Manager, Sadanori Sugita, did hint that IUA could be planning another Walkinshaw-tuned variant in the Isuzu line-up.
"We are carefully monitoring the customer requirements,” Sugita said when asked about the prospect of an MU-X Blade coming to Australia. “At this point in time we do not say anything about the future, but, yeah, we are planning something."
The D-MAX Blade arrived in Australia in November 2024, a few months after the revised MY24 D-MAX range arrived. It launched at an introductory price of $76,990, which was approximately $6K higher than the D-MAX X-Terrain – providing us with a rough estimate of MU-X Blade pricing if it were to transpire.
The D-MAX Blade was based on the LS-U+ and as a result is equipped with leather-accented upholstery with black stitching; an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat; and heated front seats. Walkinshaw then gave the vehicle a 29mm lift courtesy of new suspension and a larger wheel and tyre package. It also received Monroe 35mm MTV twin-tube dampers that were tuned for local conditions and are 16.6 per cent larger than the original 30mm items.
With coil springs at the rear of the MU-X, you could argue there’s potential for Walkinshaw to go even further with Isuzu’s seven-seat wagon than it could with the leaf-sprung D-MAX ute.
The D-MAX Blade wore Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tyres, while a thicker 3mm underbody bash plate improved off-road performance. It remained powered by Isuzu’s unchanged 4JJ1 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine.
The D-MAX Blade retained the standard 4x4 system and came with a full suite of safety features and a six-year/150,000km warranty. It was initially limited to just 400 units.
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