“You talk the talk, but do you walk the walk?”

There are plenty to choose from in this age of skin-deep looks and iffy performance. Take for example an actor who has it all in the pretty department, only to act like a block of wood when push comes to shove.

Why are we telling you this? Because the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain has everything in the looks department by looking all aggressive, and backed-up with by lots of ground clearance, generous cargo capacity, and powerful engine to match regardless of challenging urban and off-road situations.

Talk about having your cake and eating it too.

But all those features are for nought if the occupants cannot be kept safe. It needs to be said that enjoyment with a peace of mind is true enjoyment.

Now, “safe” is not just a marketing jargon for the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, as it takes safety to a higher level than its contemporaries with the features below:

1. Comprehensive Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS)
Driving in urban surroundings is a challenging undertaking even for advanced drivers. This fact is not lost on Isuzu, who equips the D-Max X-Terrain with the most comprehensive Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) that provide real-time assistance and intervention.

These systems include:
● Autonomous Emergency Braking is one of those systems that work silently in the background yet is designed to keep you and your occupants safe when you may not be able to respond in time or may have become incapacitated for any reason. Should the system detect that an obstacle is up ahead or behind you when reversing, it will warn you first. In case you do not respond quick enough, it will apply the brakes automatically.

● Lane departure warning which as the name suggests warns you when the vehicle crosses into the adjacent lane without purposeful driver input. This feature is essential should the driver be distracted by hyperactive kids, or is feeling a little drowsy which may cause the vehicle to drift into the adjacent lane. The system detects this potentially dangerous situation and audibly warns the driver to bring the vehicle back on track.

● Adaptive cruise control monitors the traffic ahead of the D-Max, slowing the vehicle down automatically when necessary and speeding back up when conditions permit. For example, with cruise control is activated, it detects the traffic ahead suddenly slowing down. It acts much faster than the driver can take action and slows the vehicle down automatically to match the speed and distance to the vehicle up front. It then speeds up the vehicle again when the vehicle in front begins to open up a gap and matches its speed and the correct distance.

● Lane Departure Warning is designed to keep you centred in your lane in all conditions. This is especially handy in low visibility situations such as in heavy rain or when driving in very dark conditions. It is also very handy when you are tired after a long distance drive or a long day. You can rely on the system to keep you in check and stop you from veering off the lane into oncoming traffic or worse.

● Automatic emergency braking applies the anchors when the system detects a potential hazard. The human brain takes at least 0.5 second merely to recognise the threat before taking action. Consequently, the vehicle would have travelled some distance before the driver actually starts pressing the brake pedal. However, this system reacts much faster than that, thus stopping the vehicle quicker and in less distance.

2. Enhanced visibility and awareness
It has to be said that it is what we cannot see that has the worst consequences. At the same time, the driver can be overwhelmed with too much workload, for example, trying to concentrate on where you want to go while trying to change lanes, making sure there is no other vehicle hanging around the blind spot. Now try doing this in the middle of a traffic jam!

As such, the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain Auto Premium variant offers several great features for your safety:
● Driving and parking in the city can be a stressful affair. It makes one wonder where some drivers learn how to park. Some would park practically next to your vehicle, making it immensely challenging to leave your parking spot without swapping paint.

This is where the improved 360-degree camera system that gives you an accurate and high-definition view of your surroundings. This comes in handy to guide you into or out of a parking lot without lifting your heart rate by a single beat. It makes parallel parking so much easier, too, especially when the space is next to a drain, for example.

This system is also truly useful when you go off-road, and you need to know if your vehicle can clear the small opening, between a cliff on one side and a boulder the size of a house on the other. The clarity of the system has been enhanced and provides a high-definition view of everything around you, this makes it easier to navigate around anything that may be of trouble.

● Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) has been one feature that been around for a few years already. It is handy especially when reversing, but it has its limitations. To build up on this, the 2024 Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain has an enhanced system called the Rear Cross Traffic Brake (RCTB).

The system works in conjunction with RCTA, it first alerts you of an oncoming obstacle, and if you do not respond, it automatically applies the brakes. All of this works seamlessly and is especially handy in Malaysia where motorcyclists tend to zoon out of corners.

● The blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert enhance your awareness, making it safer for you and others. This is especially true when you encounter other smaller and more nimble vehicles (read: motorcycles). You can never know if a rider decides to stick himself next to your vehicle and in your blind spot for some unfathomable reason. The system warns you of such dangers should you need to change lanes or turn.

3. Robust Structural Integrity and Passive Safety Features
All those smart systems will not be enough if the vehicle itself does not hold up to the unexpected.

● As engineers put it, it is not the accident (touch wood) but how one stops that causes the most injury.

With that said, there is no use if the vehicle does not absorb the impact energy and transfers all of it to the occupants, and on the other hand, the vehicle must not be so soft that the entire vehicle crunches like a tin can under an elephant’s foot.

In any case, the vehicle must remove the impact energy as much as possible from the occupants during an unfortunate accident. As such, certain areas of the vehicle must absorb and dissipate this impact energy, meaning certain areas are designed to crunch from strong impact forces while the occupants’ cab maintains its integrity.

This is why the Isuzu Dynamic Drive Platform, the new D-Max X-Terrain’s body structure is reinforced in certain areas while certain are designed to absorb and dissipate impact energy.

● Apart from that, advanced passive safety features include 7 airbags, and seatbelt pretensioners even for the backseat passengers, making it the perfect choice for any driver with any occupant, for any situation. The X-Terrain also scored 5-Stars at the ASEAN NCAP crash test rating, making the 2024 D-Max one of, if not the safest pick-up trucks in its segment.

So there you are, proof of how safe the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain is. What next, but to enjoy the drive, knowing that you are in one of – if the – safest pick-up trucks out there.

But wait! How much does it cost you ask? The recommended OTR price from Isuzu Malaysia is RM157,938.40 for Peninsular Malaysia while it costs RM159,830.70 in Sabah and RM160,011.10 in Sabah. This comes with a 7-year unlimited mileage warranty.

Discover the advanced active and passive safety systems of the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain! Visit your nearest Isuzu showroom today and experience firsthand why the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain is the safest pick-up trucks in its segment. Take it for a test drive and feel the difference!

Click here for more information on the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain!