We have these pics of a mystery truck, thanks to reader Ahmad Afifi who saw the black pick-up roaming in Taman Subang Mas in Shah Alam. After some cross checking, we think it’s the new Isuzu D-Max, which was recently spotted in JPJ’s carpark.
The new D-Max is not so new over in neighbouring Thailand, where it has been around since September 2011. Sitting on a canggih sounding Isuzu Gravity Responsive Intelligent Platform (i-GRIP) platform, the truck is available with a choice of three turbodiesel engines in the Land of Smiles.
A 177 hp and 380 Nm 3.0 litre heads the list there, above the iTEQ 2.5 litre in two output tunes, 116 hp/280 Nm and a VGS version with 136 hp and 320 Nm. Transmission choices are a five-speed manual and five-speed auto. Also sold in the Kingdom is a kitted-up range called the D-Max X-Series as seen at the Thai Motor Expo last year.
Click here to view last month’s set of undisguised spyshots from the JPJ carpark. It’s about time, Isuzu!
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Sharing same chasis like Chevy Colorado?
I’m not sure about the variance model produce, but it seem’s to be all 2.5l engine….now they have ready much stock for lauching….sooon..
The Chevrolet Colorado & the Isuzu D-Max are indeed the same pick-up, the difference being that the top-of-the-line Colorado uses a 2.8-litre diesel while the D-Max uses a 3.0-litre diesel. Both pick-ups, however, share the 2.5-litre diesel for their entry-level models.
2.5 Isuzu use 4JK1-TCX 136HP but Chevy use 2.5 XLD25 from duramax, 150HP.
Yeah! Isuzu is coming!
Interesting. The pickup market are getting competitive. New DMax, Ranger or Colorado?
if the cabin space and engine response are improved, then isuzu gonna have a strong seller at hand.
recently test drove the ford ranger 2.2 auto, the cabin space is impressive but the small capacity engine struggles abit to get it up to speed. ride comfort abit harsh but tolerable. overall, not tempted yet to trade-in my triton 2.5 auto.
from my experience, on-paper claims is nothing compared to a proper test drive especially for heavy vehicles like suvs and pick-ups.
If you want lasting engine, do not buy small cylinder with high output. Even they are using VN turbo and 3rd gen commonrail, they are going to have a lot of stress which could damage the injector easily. Buy big engine with high output. It will going to be last and fuel efficient. Honestly many people complaint triton vnt produce black smoke when hard acceleration. It is due to excessive diesel injected into cylinder cause incomplete combustion. But yours 136hp has no this issue. Thats why it is still better.
i actually test drove the triton vgt too, just to feel the difference in power (136 vs 178ps, 314 vs 350 nm). frankly the vgt is not much quicker in acceleration compared to the non-vgt, just slightly faster off the line i would say.
the main difference is in overtaking, where the vgt gains speed faster when the throttle is pressed. thanks to the extra engine output and the 5-speed auto, no doubt.
just as u pointed out, i did notice a fair bit of black smoke coming out at the back under heavy throttle. i did notice this trait on nissan navara as well but the ranger i tested produced less smoke when pressed. difference in the state of tunings for each engines, i think
yup this is latest isuzu d max. I see so many thai people use this truck at rantau panjang kelantan in the year 2012…kenapa malaysia nie lambat masuk…