INFOGRAPHIC: Isuzu D-Max and its Generations

In the Philippines, specifically in Metro Manila, a sudden downpour often leads to flooded roads. Inhabitants of the country's urban jungle know this and could have experienced driving through a flooded road. This scenario helped raised the demand and the need to have a vehicle that comes with a high ground clearance—and one of the vehicles that meets this credential is the pickup truck.

Isuzu Philippines is a brand that's known for its reliable diesel engines as well as its tough pickup truck, the D-Max. The D-Max has been Isuzu's challenger in the Philippines' competitive pickup segment for 15 years. It was first introduced in the local market in 2003 featuring a platform that was built and developed with General Motors. Since its launch in the Philippine market, the D-Max proved to be one of the toughest and reliable pickup trucks. The Isuzu D-Max is in its second-generation model, as of this writing. Yes, the said Isuzu pickup truck only has two generation in its 15-year lifespan. Here is an overview of the D-Max and its generations.

First Generation Isuzu D-Max (2002 to 2012)

The first-generation D-Max was introduced to the global market in 2002. It made its Philippine-market debut in 2003 and was offered for a decade. The first-generation D-Max in the local market was available with two diesel engine options: 2.5-liter or 3.0-liter. The first-gen D-Max came with a tough-looking exterior that was highlighted with a simple yet distinctive design. It has large headlights, a wide grille, and a muscular bumper.

Second Generation Isuzu D-Max (2012 to Present)

The second-generation D-Max was first revealed in Thailand, and made its way in the Philippines in September 2013. Compared to its predecessor, the second-gen D-Max looks more aggressive, more composed, and bolder. This D-Max was once again designed by Isuzu and Chevrolet, which means that it shares the same ladder-chassis platform with the Colorado, Chevy's pickup. The second-gen D-Max has also grown in size as it is longer, wider, and taller than its predecessor. The launch of the second-gen D-Max is timely as the Philippine automotive industry is about to witness the so-called pickup wars.

Under the hood, this D-Max is powered either by a 2.5- or a 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine. The 2.5-liter turbodiesel produces 108 hp and 280 Nm of torque, while the 3.0-liter turbodiesel churns out 144 hp and 294 Nm. The engines is connected to either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission depending on the variant.

The second generation D-Max has received several design updates along the years. In September 2016, Isuzu Philippines introduced the refreshed D-Max featuring a restyled exterior and an updated interior. Some of the design updated fitted to the D-Max are the following: a revamped grille, redesigned bumper, new fog lamps, and new projector headlights with LED daytime running lights.

In July 2018, the second gen D-Max was once again given a new look as it received restyled LED headlights, new foglamps, and a redesigned grille. However, the exterior design updates played second fiddle to the D-Max’s new RZ4E Blue Power diesel engine. The said engine is a 1.9-liter turbo diesel power unit that delivers 148 hp and 350 Nm of torque. The RZ4E engine can be connected to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Of note, the RZ4E engine is only equipped in the 4x2 spec D-Max.

Here are the available brand-new 2018 Isuzu D-Max variants in the Philippines:

Single Cab and Chassis--PHP807,000

LT 4×2 MT--PHP967,000

LT 4×4 MT--PHP1,288,000

LS 4×2 MT X-Series--PHP1,355,000

LS 4×2 AT X-Series--PHP1,420,000

RZ4E LS 4×2 MT--PHP1,209,000

RZ4E LS 4×2 AT--PHP1,279,000

3.0 LS 4×2 MT--PHP1,320,000

3.0 LS 4×2 AT--PHP1,390,000

3.0 LS 4×4 MT--PHP1,630,000

3.0 LS 4×4 AT--PHP1,700,000

 (*prices shown above are as of February 2019)

The Isuzu D-Max is arguably one of the reliable pickup trucks offered in the Philippine market. Isuzu Philippines is offering a total of 11 D-Max variants with a starting price of PHP807,000 for the Single Cab and Chassis while the top variant is priced at PHP1,700,000. Interested to get a full overview of the 2018 Isuzu D-Max? Click here to get more information.

Isuzu D-Max RZ4E LS 4x2 MT Specification

Engine Type: 1.9-liter Blue Power Diesel Engine with Turbo Intercooler Max Power: 148 hp @ 3600rpm Max Torque: 350 Nm @ 1800-2600rpm Transmision: 6-Speed Manual Length x Width x Height: 5295 mm x 1860mm x 1785mm Wheelbase: 3095mm Suspension (Front / Rear): Independent Double Wishbone with Coil Spring / Leaf Spring Seating: 5