ISUZU D-MAX Goes Further Again

The Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck, long regarded and highly respected for its impressive fuel efficiency has taken yet another step further in its quest to prove its prowess. Three variants of the D-Max including the new 2.5-litre 4×4 Manual, a 3.0-litre 4×4 Single Cab and a 3.0-litre 4×2 Automatic Double Cab were driven from the Thai capital Bangkok to historical Malacca, a whopping distance of 1,600km without finishing its tank full of diesel. A proud CEO of Isuzu Malaysia Takashi Hata who was in Malacca to welcome the cars at the end of their four-day journey said that the Isuzu D-Max continuously amazes with its ability to run great distances using very little fuel.
“It is astonishing to see just how far a D-Max can go when driven conscientiously. While this Dura-Miles Challenge was a test to explore the limits of the vehicle’s range, Isuzu D-Max customers are always reporting great savings on their fuel bills when they switched from other vehicles,” said Hata. In 2007 when Isuzu first introduced the all-new 3.0-litre Super Commonrail model, a unit was driven from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, clocking 1,501km on a single tank of diesel. Instead of just choosing the new 2.5-litre Super Commonrail model, the most logical model to attempt a new distance feat, Isuzu Malaysia’s marketing team decided to throw a challenge to the drivers to bring home the other members of the D-Max family as well. Said Product Manager of Isuzu Malaysia Wan Zaqi Zacary, the challenge was to see if the other members of the D-Max family were just as capable when it came to achieving record-breaking fuel efficiency.
“We decided to really see how we could prove the capabilities of Isuzu engineering by putting the load-bearing Single Cab model and the city-dwelling 3.0-litre Auto into the equation. Remarkably, all three vehicles made it to Ayer Keroh in Malacca convincingly,” said Zaqi.
The latest Dura-Miles Challenge was flagged off from the Ung Nguan Tai Isuzu dealership on Rama II Road in Bangkok under strict monitoring of all aspects of the project by a technical officer from the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM). The cars were carefully inspected to ensure they were stock-standard models and were run according to factory specifications. All potential refueling points were then sealed using special high security stickers and the drive was also observed to ensure the cars remained at reasonable speeds and received no external assistance during the passage. Throughout the drive, the cars had their air-conditioners turned on and a target speed of 80km/h was maintained where road conditions allowed remaining as close to real-world driving conditions as possible. Eventually, the 2.5-litre model consumed 73.7 litres while the Single Cab and Automatic consumed 71.6 litres and 75.1 litres respectively.
The Isuzu D-Max however does not merely offer the single dimension of fuel efficiency alone. Built to take extreme punishment, the Isuzu D-Max has been the reigning champion’s choice of vehicle in the AAM Malaysian 4×4 Rally Championship, an accolade it has held for two consecutive years.
Its all-rounded nature hinges on the fact that Isuzu is one of the largest diesel engine manufacturers in the world and is currently the No.1 truck brand in Japan. Its technical know-how and heritage in its field has led to vehicles that offer an exceptional balance of fuel efficiency, durability and reliability. For more on the record-breaking Isuzu range, please visit your nearest Isuzu outlet orwww.isuzu.net.my.