What more is that this incredibly efficiency feat was also achieved by the flagship 3.0-litre D-Max 4×4 X-Terrain.
Despite diesel prices now being on a float, those who are driving around in the latest Isuzu D-Max may still be laughing while at the pumps. Such is as this pickup recently entered the Malaysian Book of Records for the ‘Longest Distance Driven In A Pick-up Truck With A Single Tank Of Fuel’, by managing the incredibly efficiency feat of driving 2,000 km using only the contents of its 76-litre fuel tank!
Though perhaps even more impressive than this headline is that it was not just the 1.9-litre 4×2 Auto Plus that managed to eke out an equivalent fuel efficiency figure of 26 km/l, as Isuzu Malaysia had also managed the same from its 1.9-litre 4×4 Auto Premium, as well as its full-fat flagship 3.0-litre 4×4 X-Terrain! This record-setting fuel-sipping attempt took place during the automaker’s recent Dura Miles Challenge, which saw these three aforementioned pickup variants drive from from the central Thai town of Phitsanulok, approximately 300 km north of Bangkok to Klang, Selangor.
This epic(-ly efficient) cross-border trek was witnessed by a technical steward from the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM), who sealed the fuel tanks and observed that the vehicles were driven throughout the journey without any introduction of additional fuel. This was incidentally the first time the company put the new third-generation Isuzu D-Max to the test, but was far from the first time Isuzu had showcased its pickup’s extraordinary efficiency.
An Isuzu D-Max previously completed the journey from Bangkok to Singapore, a distance of 1,809 km, with one tank of diesel. More recently too, the automaker successfully drove a 1.9-litre Single Cab model loaded with a tonne of weight, clocking a distance of over 1,000 kilometres using just its single tank of fuel despite climbing three mountains, each measuring over 1,000 metres in elevation.
Launched earlier this year, the newly-facelifted Isuzu D-Max is to still be powered by the same pair of 1.9-litre or 3.0-litre turbodiesel four-pots as its pre-updated predecessor, albeit now in Euro 4 compliant guises. The smaller oil burner outputs 150 hp and 350 Nm of torque, while the more potent 3.0-litre unit is rated for 190 hp and 450 Nm of torque.
Speaking at the arrival of the vehicles at the new Ultra Gallant Isuzu 3S Centre in Klang, Selangor after completing its 2,000 km journey, CEO of Isuzu Malaysia Shunsuke Okazoe said that the achievement underlined Isuzu’s amazing engineering capabilities in developing Blue Power diesel engines that perform way beyond the call of duty.
“While we do not expect every customer to drive their Isuzu vehicles 2,000 kilometres on a single tank of fuel, it clearly demonstrates the level of engineering that goes into every Isuzu vehicle to even make a feat of this magnitude a possibility,” said Mr Okazoe.
At the ceremony, Mr Okazoe joined Light Commercial Vehicle Division COO Kenkichi Sogo to receive the certificate of completion from MAM’s Secretary General Mr. S.N. Nanthan and Steward En. Muhd. Siraj and the certificate of achievement from The Malaysian Book of Records’ officers Mr. Edwin Yeoh and En. Mohd. Nazrul. An elated Mr. Sogo said that the achievement represented a win for every Isuzu D-Max owner.
“With the rising costs of various daily items including the price of diesel, those who use the Isuzu D-Max in their daily operations will truly benefit from its cost-saving character. The vehicle’s capable and versatile nature coupled with amazing fuel efficiency should remain a top purchasing criteria for those seeking a dependable pick-up truck whatever their needs and desires may be.
“Equally amazing is that this capable pick-up truck does everything extraordinarily well. Whether it is conquering the jungle trails of Sabah in the Borneo Safari, bringing families and loved ones home safely and comfortably or speedily delivering goods to its destination, the Isuzu D-Max displays the prowess to handle it all with ease,” said Sogo.
There are currently 8 variants of the newly updated D-Max available locally, with on-the-road prices without insurance in Peninsula Malaysia ranging from RM 98,949.20 for the 1.9-litre Single Cab to RM 157,938.40 flagship X-Terrain. Isuzu proudly proclaims for Malaysia to be the third country (after Thailand and Australia) to receive this refreshed pickup, with hopefully the same to be true too when its upcoming all-electric iteration is finally launched in the rather near future.
