WHAT DO YOU MISS OUT ON?

SIFTING closely through the specs box, it’s interesting to note the differences in inclusions between the models.

The main differences between the SX and LS-M are as follows:

• Steel wheels vs alloy

• Black door handles and mirrors vs colour coded

• Halogen headlights vs LED

• No DRL or LED fog lights in SX trim

• Four-speaker stereo system vs Sixspeaker in the LS-M

• No USB outlet in the rear of the SX

• Less interior storage options in the SX.

When you look at the differences between the LS-M and LS-U we found:

• 18-inch wheels vs 17-inch (we prefer 17-inch anyway)

• Standard leaf springs in LS-U vs heavy-duty in LS-M

• Rear park-assist sensors available in the LS-U

• Side-steps standard in LS-U (we’d take ’em off)

• Chrome exterior accents in LS-U (chrome don’t get you home)

• LED rear combination lights in LS-U

• Carpet flooring in LS-U vs Vinyl in LS-M (we like vinyl flooring)

• Dual-zone climate control in LS-U

• Electronic adjustable lumbar support (driver only) in LS-U

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel in LS-U, urethane in the LS-M

• 9-inch touchscreen display in LS-U vs 7-inch in LS-M

• SKY SOUND stereo system with eight speakers in LS-U vs Six speakers in LS-M.

Make of that what you will, but the vinyl flooring, 17-inch alloy wheels (better looking than the 18-inch wheels in my opinion), lack of side-steps and inclusion of heavy-duty rear leaf springs are an advantage for four-wheel drivers. Sure, the larger nine-inch touchscreen and eight-speaker sound system would be really nice, as would the rear park assistance and dual-zone climate control, but are they worth the coin? That’s on you, but for my money the LS-M is the bang-for-buck option in the 2020 Isuzu D-MAX range.