Isuzu Motor India have launched the much-awaited D-Max pick-up truck, the D-Max, in India in three variants.
The D-Max has been launched with a signature Isuzu turbo-diesel engine, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder motor making 136 PS at 3,600 RPM and 294 Nm of torque from 1,800 to 3,200 RPM. Isuzu has been making great diesel engines for ages and their engines have been doing duty in many commercial vehicles and the good-old, now defunct Hindustan Ambassador for decades in India. Frugal, reliable and dependable are what best describes their engines. The D-Max marks the arrival of Japanese pick-ups in India, a segment which thus far consisted only of the Tata 207, Xenon and the Mahindra Scorpio Getaway. And it won’t just be the milk vendors who will flock to get one of these. Many tour operators and private owners would love to get their hands on a Space Cab model.
The D-Max, for now, is being rolled out from Hindustan Motor’s plant in Chennai. The plant has a capacity of 5,000 units annually. However, being a CKD operation means that it has allowed Isuzu to price the D-Max very affordably. The single-cab flat-deck model is priced at Rs 5.99 lakh, the Space Cab flat-deck is available from Rs 6.19 lakh and the Space Cab arched-deck is priced at Rs 7.09 lakh, all ex-showroom, Mumbai.
Story: Jim Gorde
Images: Gaurav Nagpal
