GQEBERHA – ISUZU Motors South Africa is celebrating its legacy of producing segment-defining ISUZU bakkies in the country over the past 45 years with the launch of the limited edition D-MAX 45, competitively priced at R906 100.
Based on the seventh-generation D-MAX range, and specifically the 3.0 Ddi Double Cab LSE 4×4 Automatic derivative, the D-MAX 45 will be released in limited numbers from the end of July 2024. It will be available with an exclusive range of accessories and features, adding further lustre to one of the bakkie segment’s most revered nameplates.
“The ISUZU D-MAX, and the KB before it, have enjoyed a long and proud legacy in South Africa, and were responsible for creating and popularising the double cab bakkie segment which is now the mainstay of the local industry,” says Kevin Fouche, Department Executive: Product Planning and Programme Management at ISUZU Motors South Africa.
“With the inherent practicality, versatility and go-anywhere capability offered by this type of vehicle, it’s no surprise that bakkies now top the new vehicles sales in South Africa,” Fouche says. “The D-MAX has consistently been a leading contender in the segment, whether it’s for commercial applications with the trusted D-MAX Single Cab, empowering the agricultural industry with the tough D-MAX Extended Cab, or as a family-oriented leisure vehicle with the all-encompassing D-MAX Double Cab.”
Over its seven iterations, the ISUZU bakkie range has remained one of the most compelling and popular models in the light commercial vehicle segment, ever since the first-generation KB came off the Kempston Road production line in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in 1979.
Following the establishment of ISUZU Motors South Africa in 2018 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ISUZU Motors Limited – the first outside of Japan – ISUZU’s trusted and loved bakkie was renamed “D-MAX” in line with the brand’s global nomenclature
“The limited edition D-MAX 45 celebrates this proud heritage with unique features, colour options and accessories that will make it a highly sought-after offering in the ISUZU D-MAX range,” Fouche says.
D-MAX 45 features
The D-MAX 45 is based on the 3.0 Ddi Double Cab LSE 4×4 Automatic, which means it has an appreciably high level of standard comfort, safety and convenience features, matched to the proven capabilities of the 3.0-litre Ddi intercooled turbodiesel engine which produces 140 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque. This is combined with a dependable six-speed automatic transmission and a part-time four-wheel drive system with a standard differential lock to conquer
more challenging terrain.
However, the D-MAX 45 stands out from the standard LSE models thanks to the adoption of a gloss black front grille with contrasting lower fog lamp facia accent garnish, 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels with distinctive silver ring centre caps, and a classy yet practical black Rhinoman X-pedition canopy. The tailgate continues the theme with a black ISUZU decal, as well as a special 45-year commemorative badge that signals this model’s exclusive status.
Easy access to the load compartment is facilitated by the inclusion of the tailgate assist feature, while the inclusion of a spray-on bedliner ensures that a variety of goods can safely be carried without scratching the load bed.
A range of attractive colour choices has been selected for the D-MAX 45, comprising Desert Orange, Splash White, Mercury Silver, Biarritz Blue and Islay Grey.
The upmarket interior, which includes the LSE’s partial leather seat trim, benefits from the addition of durable Bundu Basher rubber floor mats, which makes it ideal for dusty and muddy off-road adventures.
A wireless charger is included on the D-MAX 45 to keep your compatible smartphone charged at all times. This complements the standard nine-inch touchscreen multimedia system with integrated wireless Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto.
The D-MAX LSE’s standard suite of safety features is carried through to this limited edition model, including driver and passenger front airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, a driver’s knee airbag and the far-side airbag between the front seats.
Active safety features include ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control, Hill Start Assist (HSA), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Trailer Sway Control.
An esteemed legacy
The limited edition D-MAX 45 pays tribute to ISUZU’s long and proud legacy of manufacturing its bakkie range in South Africa, which commenced with the first ISUZU KB coming off the production line in 1979. However, this was preceded by the introduction of the ISUZU KB40 a year earlier as an imported model, which was soon to become one of the country’s top-selling bakkies.
The ISUZU bakkie range is credited with numerous trend-setting innovations over the years, including becoming the first pick-up to feature rack-and-pinion steering and independent front suspension, all the way back in 1981 – the same year that the second-generation model was launched, known as the KB25 LWB and KB41.
The third-generation KB debuted in 1989 as the first of a new body shape built by Delta Motor Corporation, which had taken over the ISUZU brand from GM. Having already sold more than 80 000 units by this stage, the third-generation range comprised an even wider and more capable line-up comprising the KB160 Base and Fleetside, the KB230 and KB250D in short-wheelbase, long-wheelbase and upmarket LE specification, plus four-wheel drive versions.
In 1993 the pioneering Turbo Blazer version of the KB was launched. Developed locally by the Engineering Centre team, it was the first time a South African manufacturer offered a turbocharged petrol-engined bakkie.
ISUZU followed this up by creating the double cab segment the same year with the introduction of the four-door version of the KB260 LE 4×4 and KB280DT – an industry first that set the groundwork for what is now one of the most popular segments of the new vehicle industry in South Africa.
In 1997 the fourth-generation ISUZU KB was launched, and the KB unsurprisingly became the top-selling one-ton bakkie in the country, a position it held for two consecutive years. Having returned to South Africa, General Motors invested R500-million into tooling and facilities for the fifth-generation ISUZU KB which was launched in 2004.
Records are meant to be broken, and ISUZU did exactly that when the KB set a new world record at the 72 Hour Endurance Challenge, which took place at the Gerotek Vehicle Testing facility near Pretoria. A KB300 covered a record of 12 243.38 km at an average speed of 170.047 km/h, exceeding the previous record of 11 520.664 km and 160.009 km/h held by a 2.7-litre petrol-engined pick-up. Similarly, a KB250 diesel improved on the existing 3.0-litre diesel records by 470 km and 5 km/h average speed – and came within a hair’s breadth of beating the 2.7-litre petrol records.
The ISUZU Off-Road Academy was launched in 2011 to provide hands-on training on 4×4 driving to ensure owners could get the best out of their vehicles. Thousands of owners have benefitted from these courses over the years. ISUZU’s sixth-generation D-MAX was launched two years later, and this was the first model to be produced in both left and right-hand drive for export markets in Africa.
On 1 January 2018, ISUZU Motors South Africa (IMSA) was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited – the first outside of Japan – employing 1 000 South Africans directly and 25 000 people across the value chain. The KB name was subsequently dropped in favour of D-MAX to align with ISUZU’s global naming conventions. In 2019 ISUZU then consolidated its Bakkie and Truck operations, relocating to the IMSA headquarters in Struandale, Gqeberha. Later that year it was announced that ISUZU Motors Limited would be investing R1.2-billion in the South African operations for the seventh-generation D-MAX.
Production of the all-new model range commenced in 2022 in both LHD and RHD configurations for export markets. In addition to an extensive range of seventh-generation models, ISUZU continued production of selected GEN 6 models, thus offering a more affordable alternative in the highly competitive bakkie segment.
The D-MAX remains one of the leading contenders 45 years after local production commenced, and it continues to be a firm favourite for bakkie owners – revered for its outstanding fuel economy, low running costs and proven durability in the harshest conditions.
Pricing
D-MAX 45 3.0 Ddi D/Cab 4×4 AT: R906 100
ISUZU Complete Care
ISUZU Complete Care comes standard with every new ISUZU D-MAX and embodies ISUZU’s unwavering commitment to aftersales service and customer satisfaction. All new ISUZU D-MAX models are sold as standard with a comprehensive five-year/120 000 km warranty and roadside assistance, as well as a five-year unlimited distance anti-corrosion warranty.
In addition, a five-year/90 000 km service plan is included in the purchase price, with service intervals scheduled every 15 000 km or annually, whichever comes first.
Through ISUZU Mobility, customers have the option of extending the standard service plan up to a maximum of six years or 200 000 km. Alternatively, the service plan can be upgraded to a full maintenance plan that covers the vehicle for planned and unplanned maintenance up to six years/200 000 km.
