More than enough pulling power, 81 percent of Isuzu D-Max sold in Thailand are the 1.9L variants

The Thais don’t use pick-up trucks the way we Malaysians do. Over there, pick-up trucks are put to hard work, pulling all types of farm produce. So when Isuzu introduced the RZ4E-TC 1.9-litre Blue Power engine for its latest generation D-Max, there were doubts if it can deliver the same pulling power as a 2.8-litre Toyota Hilux.

There is no replacement for displacement and yes, it is true that the Isuzu D-Max runs out of puff earlier than the Toyota Hilux. The Isuzu has to make do with only 150 PS and 350 Nm, versus the Toyota’s 204 PS and 500 Nm.

However, Isuzu also understands that power is not everything and for people who depend on their trucks to make a living, running cost is just as important as power, and Isuzu says the D-Max is the most fuel-efficient truck in the segment. Fuel consumption has become even more important to commercial vehicle users given today's high fuel prices.

Now that Isuzu has wrestled the title of Thailand’s No.1 selling pick-up from Toyota Hilux, you can say that Isuzu’s findings on customer needs has been firmly validated.

As Thailand’s No.1 selling pick-up truck, the Isuzu D-Max is the vehicle that is keeping Thailand’s economy chugging along.

Not only that, data compiled by headlightmag says that 81 percent of D-Max sales is contributed by 1.9-litre variants.

Unlike Malaysia, where double-cab is the overwhelmingly dominant body style for pick-up trucks, only 51.2 percent of D-Max sales there came from double-cab variants. One third (34.9 percent) of sales came from Space Cab, followed by Single Cab (13.9 percent).

The Space Cab variant is not available in Malaysia. It’s essentially a Single Cab with additional storage space behind, with rearward opening doors.

Also very different from Malaysia’s 4x4-only D-Max line-up is that 92.5 percent of D-Max sold in Thailand are 4x2 variants.

Why the overwhelming popularity of 4x2 variants? Because 4x2 variants have a much lower deck loading height, thus making it easier to load and unload cargo. 4x4 is not that important, as many of these trucks are used to carry heavy load across long distances.

In Malaysia, the Mitsubishi Triton Lite is the sole 'low-rider' 4x2 truck on sale, priced from RM 81,390.

Between to January to July 2022, Isuzu sold 105,609 units of the D-Max. The next closest rival is the Toyota Hilux, which sold 87,104 units in the same 7-month period.

The Ford Ranger is third (15,552 units), followed by Mitsubishi Triton (13,592 units), and Nissan Navara (3,777 units).

But numbers don't mean much to an average consumer. What matters to pragmatic farmers is whether the truck works as claimed. The video below is a typical scene of how Thai D-Max customers use their trucks. Just don't say that hay stacks are light, as farmers will laugh at your city-boy ignorance. 

In Malaysia, the Isuzu D-Max is priced from RM 90,449 for the Single Cab, while Double-Cab variants are priced from RM 100,099 to RM 146,938.