In the dog eat dog world of pick-up trucks, the Isuzu D-Max has always stood out for its impressive fuel efficiency, that coupled with its highly regarded off-roading abilities, makes it one of the strong contenders in that segment.
Now the D-Max has further strengthened its credentials with three of its variants, the 2.5-liter 4X4 manual, the 3-liter 4X4 Single Cab and the 3-liter 4X2 Automatic Double Cab, driven from the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, all the way to Malacca, having covered a distance of 1,600km on a single tank of diesel.
“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 Chief Executive Officer of Isuzu Malaysia Takashi Hata, who was in Malacca to welcome the cars at the end of the four day journey.
Instead of just going with the 2.5-liter Super Commonrail model that would have been the best candidate for the best fuel efficiency, Isuzu Malaysia wanted to see if the other variants could keep pace as well.
“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 Product Manager of Isuzu Malaysia, Wan Zaqi Zacary.
The challenge was flagged off at the Ung Nguan Tai Isuzu dealership in Bangkok. All the participating D-Max’ were fueled up under strict monitoring of all aspects by a technical team from the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM). The team was careful to ensure the trucks were all stock and were operating on factory settings.
Apart from the fuel lid, all other potential refueling points were sealed with high security stickers and the entire drive was observed to ensure the trucks didn’t get any external assistance. A target speed of around 80km/h was maintained and the air-conditioning was switched on at all times too.
At the end of the drive, the 2.5-liter model had consumed 73.7 liters of diesel while the Single Cab and Automatic had burned through 71.6 liters and 75.1 liters respectively.
Although the D-Max is highly regarded for its fuel efficiency, its off-roading capabilities are top notch as well. The D-Max has been the reigning champion’s choice of vehicle in the AAM Malaysian 4x4 Rally Championship, an accolade it has held for two consecutive years.
For more on the record-breaking Isuzu range, please visit your nearest Isuzu outlet or ISUZU 2011.
