CarBrandLogos archive · Isuzu · 2002

IsuzuD-Max

The pickup that became the whole company's centre of gravity.

Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Isuzu history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Isuzu D-Max, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

2007-2008 Holden RA Rodeo LX Crew Cab 4-door utility 01

Origins

Isuzu replaced the long-running Faster in 2002 with the D-Max, a body-on-frame pickup developed while General Motors held a substantial stake in the firm. For years the same vehicle wore Chevrolet Colorado badges in markets from Thailand to South America, and Isuzu's Thai plants became the production centre for both.

2007-2008 Holden RA Rodeo LX Crew Cab 4-door utility 01 · OSX · Public domain

2011 Holden Colorado LX-R 4WD Crew Cab 4-door utility 01

Design and engineering

The recipe has stayed consistent: rear- or four-wheel drive, single, extended and crew cabs, chassis-cab versions for body builders, and four-cylinder turbodiesels engineered for a service life that owners in Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia take for granted. It moved from compact to mid-size with the second generation in 2011, and the third, launched in 2019, added the driver-assistance systems that European and Australian safety ratings now demand.

2011 Holden Colorado LX-R 4WD Crew Cab 4-door utility 01 · OSX · Public domain

In production

With passenger cars long gone from most of its markets, the D-Max is what Isuzu means to a great many buyers. The MU-X SUV shares its chassis, and Mazda sells a closely related version as the BT-50.

2015 Isuzu D-Max Utah 2.5 · Vauxford · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

2002–present

Body

2-door chassis cab

Technical specification

The D-Max, in detail.

Production: 2002–present
Class: Compact pickup truck (2002–2011); Mid-size pickup truck (2011–present)
Body style: 2-door chassis cab ; 2-door pickup truck ; 4-door chassis cab ; 4-door pickup truck
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout; Front-engine, rear-wheel drive ; Front-engine, four-wheel-drive layout; Front-engine, four-wheel drive
Manufacturer: Isuzu

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