Isuzu rolls out new D-Max pickup
Isuzu hardly has a leg left to stand on in North America, but elsewhere in the world its trucks are being bought by the hundreds of thousands. The D-Max shares its underpinnings and much of its sheetmetal with the brand's i-280 and i-350 pickups, as well as our own Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. The new model gets a refreshed front end and new 3.0-liter CRD turbo-diesel. Inside Line reports that Isuzu is gearing up to build 350,000 units at its plants in Thailand where the the brand has ruled the commercial vehicle market for 23 years and the pickup segment for 10 years.
The D-Max also has a 7-passenger SUV spin-off called the MU 7, which also receives the freshened face and new diesel engine.
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
far jr 8:15PM (8/14/2006)
If they would send it here unaltered...diesel... Isuzu may just survive in America. Too bad it won't happen. That's not a bad looking truck.
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Ovidiu Tzapara 8:21PM (8/14/2006)
nice car though
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Ovidiu Tzapara 8:21PM (8/14/2006)
nice car though...
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Nate Wesley 8:22PM (8/14/2006)
While there's still an Isuzu dealer left to visit, the i-290 and i-370 are probably the best deals you can get on a compact/mid-size pickup. You can probably negotiate a nice deal to get them off the lot, plus theres Isuzu's 7/75,000 powertrain warranty, the longest of any truck on sale in the U.S.
I'm not sure why these trucks have as many critics as they do. Sure, they haven't represented a huge revolution over the last S-10/Sonoma/Hombre, but they're still much better than their predecessors. Even their Chevy and GMC cousins have outclassed (not to mention outmodernized) the latest Ford Ranger, who's status as the sales leader is mind-boggling considering its age and clumsy truckish ride (I should know, I ride in my brother's nearly every day).
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Custom Auto Classifieds 8:23PM (8/14/2006)
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kowell 8:27PM (8/14/2006)
is there anything from this truck NOT from the colorado/canyon.... GM rebadging... killing our sister branches one rebadging at the time....
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Tad 8:57PM (8/14/2006)
I have a fullsize Chevy 2500HD with the 6.6 Duramax and it is one outstanding engine. The technology incorperated into diesels these days is astonishing from what it used to be. I'm sure these trucks are every bit as good as thier big brother!
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Howard Kerr 8:59PM (8/14/2006)
I thought one of the MAIN faults of the Colorado/Canyon was that it is based on this Thailand designed truck...if so, GM is re-badging an Isuzu. This would seem to be a sort of 2nd gen or facelifted version of the Colorado/Canyon and I series truck, if I'm reading this right.
And while Isuzu has probably THE most experience in truck diesels, anywhere...does Isuzu have experience with small diesels that run on low sulfur fuel?
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Big Al 10:20PM (8/14/2006)
Wow. Super ugly.
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Stoneman 11:00PM (8/14/2006)
I just don't get this pickup truck thing. You want a truck but only drive short distances. You want a truck but never do any heavy moving or pulling. You want a truck with 200+ hp but never actually even use half of the power. I see alot of need but not alot of use here. Get a 2+2 sports car and be done with it.
Stoneman
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Whydrive 12:04AM (8/15/2006)
Yeah, I saw quite a few folks at Ikea try to stuff their purchases into their 2+2 sports car over the weekend. They're the reason why the Ikea parking lots are always crazy. Dumbasses spending 30 minutes trying to figure out how to arrange the boxes so that the doors and hatch can close.
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&& 12:09AM (8/15/2006)
"I just don't get this pickup truck thing. You want a truck but only drive short distances. You want a truck but never do any heavy moving or pulling. You want a truck with 200+ hp but never actually even use half of the power. I see alot of need but not alot of use here. Get a 2+2 sports car and be done with it.
Stoneman"
I just don't get this sports car thing. You want a sports car, but don't take it to the track. You want a car that goes 200 mph, but never even go half that fast. I see a lot of need but not a lot of use here. Get a Kia and be done with it.
Imafuckingmoron
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Eric Nisonger 1:20AM (8/15/2006)
Trucks are just that-Trucks. Some of us macho guys like to drive them. They are high enough off the ground so you can negociate a rough road or go into a construction site to work. Inside, they are as nice as any sedan. Personally I hate Kias or Hyundays. Ya can't haul luggage from an airport in the trunk of one of them little compacts
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Big Al 1:30AM (8/15/2006)
"I just don't get this pickup truck thing. You want a truck but only drive short distances. You want a truck but never do any heavy moving or pulling. You want a truck with 200+ hp but never actually even use half of the power. I see alot of need but not alot of use here. Get a 2+2 sports car and be done with it."
Quite possibly the most moronic thing I have ever seen posted on Autoblog. Well except for most of Lithous' comments...
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Jeff Banks 3:26AM (8/15/2006)
"Quite possibly the most moronic thing I have ever seen posted on Autoblog. Well except for most of Lithous' comments..."
Some people just don't get it do they?
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Tommickx 4:52AM (8/15/2006)
Remember Thailand is the second biggest pickup truck in the world, after the US.
Many manufacturers design and/or build their pickup trucks in Thailand. Most of Asia and Europe consider these full-size pickup trucks, perfectly sized for their intended job. Think Isuzu D-Max (#1 seller), Ford Ranger/Mazda BT-50 (not the American one), Toyota Hi-Lux, Mitsubishi L-200, etc.
Anyone who has been to South East Asia can attest most of these trucks are actually used for what they were designed: as an everyday multi-purpose workhorse, to haul people and goods around. They're supposed to run forever, and they do!
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bill bowman 8:23AM (8/15/2006)
I bought a Chevy 1-ton with the 6.6 diesel engine and the interior is fine, but I bought it to work in less than a year(100,000 miles) it has broken down in Arizona,Wisconson,California,Wyoming,and the starter just fell off in Florida.No repairs were covered by the warranty. I say God bless GM.
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Bryan 10:04AM (8/15/2006)
We just spent two weeks in Thailand in July, and as the above poster (Tommickx) says, pickups were everywhere. Especially the Isuzus and Toyota Hi-lux. We spent some of our travel time in a Ford Ranger (nicer than the ones in the US) and it was definitely used as truck "should" be - negotiating muddy, rutted roads fully loaded with people (4-5 in the cab, plus another 4-5 at least in the bed), and/or cargo.
I had no idea that many trucks were designed there, but it seems believable to me!
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Mike K 11:42AM (8/15/2006)
When I was young, my parents had a Izuzu P'up diesel that was a great vehicle. If I had any use for a truck full time, I wouldn't hesitate to get on of these.
We once made it from Salt Lake City to LA on one tank of diesel in that truck.
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Big Al 11:55AM (8/15/2006)
I just don't get this pickup truck thing. You want a truck but only drive short distances. You want a truck but never do any heavy moving or pulling. You want a truck with 200+ hp but never actually even use half of the power. I see alot of need but not alot of use here. Get a 2+2 sports car and be done with it."
I agree, Jeff. Some people don't get it.
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