Euro NCAP has awarded a 5-star safety rating for the 2020 Isuzu D-Max pickup truck during their latest round of crash tests.

In all, the car scored 84 percent for adult occupant protection, 86 percent in child occupant protection, 69 percent for pedestrian protection, 83 percent for safety assist.

The crash test findings show that the passenger compartment of the 2030 kg pickup (1.9-litre diesel, left-hand drive, crew cab variant) remained stable in the offset frontal test.

Protection to the driver’s chest was rated as marginal and weak for the driver’s right knee. Although other readings were good, protection was rated as marginal because of structures in the dashboard which could cause a risk to occupants.

In the rigid wall test, protection was good for all critical body regions for all the occupants (except the chest for the rear seat passenger), while the safety provided was rated as good in the side barrier test.

Child occupant protection was good in both the frontal offset test and the side barrier impact test. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position as well and clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag.

Furthermore, the 2020 Isuzu D-Max Euro NCAP tests also found that the pedestrian safety offered by the car was predominantly good, and on certain fronts, adequate.

When it comes to the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) (fitted as standard), it was found that the system performed well in tests of its detection and reaction to other vehicles, with impacts being avoided or mitigated in most cases.

Earlier this year, the Isuzu D-MAX was rated by Australasian NCAP (ANCAP) and some tests have been repeated by Euro NCAP to ensure a valid rating for the European market. Other results have been carried over from the ANCAP tests.