One of the rare new Japanese vehicles on display at the ongoing Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) is the 2025 Isuzu D-Max. Okay, it’s not new per se, having been launched back in November, but it does give us a good look at the mildly-refreshed pick-up.
While the truck is unchanged visually from the facelifted 2023 model, a wholesale revamp has occurred under the bonnet. Here, the D-Max has ditched its long-serving RZ4E-TC 1.9 litre Ddi BluePower four-cylinder turbodiesel, replacing it with a revised RZ4F-TC 2.2 litre Ddi MaxForce mill. Isuzu claims this essentially all-new mill boasts improved performance and fuel efficiency while delivering lower emissions.
Beyond the obvious bump in displacement, the new oil-burner also gains redesigned cylinders with a high-flow lubrication system and a high-swirl combustion chamber to improve combustion efficiency. Ultra-low-friction pistons, an electronic variable geometry turbocharger, higher-pressure direct injectors (now operating at up to 250 MPa) and a multi-core ECU have also been added.
Increased performance is a given – the MaxForce engine now makes 163 PS at 3,600 rpm and 400 Nm of torque from 1,600 to 2,400 rpm, increases of 13 PS and 50 Nm over the old 1.9 litre unit. Arguably more impressive, however, is the improvement in step-off performance, thanks to a massive 56% increase in torque from a standstill. Isuzu also claims a 10.7% reduction in extra-urban fuel consumption, as well as the lowest carbon dioxide emissions in its class.
Paired to the revised engine is a new eight-speed Rev Tronic automatic transmission, designed to keep the mill in its optimum rev range; a six-speed manual is also available. Isuzu says the engine has been tested over 2.2 million kilometres to ensure it retains the company’s famed reliability.
The engine replaces the 1.9 litre mill in the vast majority of applications, save for the recently-launched mild hybrid variant. The larger 3.0 litre 4JJ3-TCX mill soldiers on, now also rechristened the MaxForce and the aforementioned multi-core ECU, although outputs remain the same at 190 PS and 450 Nm; it’s mated to the same six-speed auto as before. The update also brings a new colour – the Elbrus Grey Opaque paint seen here – to the D-Max range.
Also receiving the new engine is the MU-X SUV, and its appearance at BIMS gives us our first look at the facelifted model that was revealed last June. Isuzu managed the impossible task of making the car look even more aggressive, giving it eyebrow-style LED daytime running lights, a massive downturned snout of a grille and an X-shaped bumper and air intake design. The rear end gets L-shaped taillight graphics and a diffuser-style bumper insert.
Inside, the changes are much less involved and are limited to a stitched soft-touch dash pad and new decorative trim. The centre console has also been redesigned to house the latest nine-inch infotainment touchscreen (replete with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) from the facelifted D-Max, which also lends its seven-inch part-digital instrument display to the MU-X.
Other new features include a 360-degree camera system with a transparency function as well as an upgraded suite of driver assists. New on the list are lane centring assist for Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability, as well as blind spot monitoring with collision prevention.
With the facelifted D-Max having already been launched in Malaysia last May, it’s likely that the MaxForce version will arrive sometime this year. Then again, a short lead time is not exactly a given – Isuzu Malaysia took four years to bring in the previous 1.9 litre Ddi BluePower mill, with extensive durability testing for our unique conditions and lower-quality fuel to blame for the delay.
GALLERY: Isuzu D-Max Hi-Lander 2.2 Ddi MaxForce M A/T at BIMS 2025
GALLERY: Isuzu MU-X 4×2 2.2 Ddi MaxForce Ultimate A/T at BIMS 2025
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