12/04/2026

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY APR 12, 2026

The dashboard is largely unchanged, save for the larger screen, but some improvements are required to counter its lack of visibility under heavy glare.

New 10-inch infotainment system. Exclusive only for the X-Terrain, Premium and 4×2 Auto Plus.

Rough Terrain Mode, the button on the top right, is now standard across the board for all 4x4 variants.

Illuminated charging ports should become a norm, as it makes finding the port and slotting in your USB device much easier.

ture and rightly so. They have built over 28 million diesel engines for every possible known applica tion since 1936. So, when they tout the new 2.2-litre turbodiesel in the Isuzu D Max as their “best engine yet”, our inter est was rightly piqued. The new engine replaces the 1.9-litre Blue Power (RZ4E-TC) introduced around a decade ago. It was revolutionary for delivering impressive numbers despite its smaller displacement. Building on that, this new 2.2-litre (RZ4F-TC) outdoes the outgoing engine in every aspect without much more dis placement. On paper, the new engine makes the aforementioned 8.7% more power at 163ps and 14.3% more torque for 400Nm mark. If you are thinking the engineers sim ply bored out the 1.9-litre block and increased stroke, you would not be alone. However, that is squarely not the case. The engineers completely re-engineered and redesigned the head and block from the ground up. Weighing in all the necessary factors such as weight savings, robustness, bal ance, NVH and driveability had them arrive at the optimal displacement of 2,164cc. Internal testing showed that fuel economy improved by 5% over the old engine. The new block offers greater rigidity and caters for the larger combustion chamber with the cylinder head redes igned to improve coolant flow to keep temperatures in check. Even the internals such as the crankshaft, pistons and con necting rods are all new.

Further boosting power is a larger vari able-geometry system (VGS) turbo charger to capitalise on the increased exhaust gas flow. The snail is mounted closer to the manifold for improved response and a new low friction bearing allows quicker spool up. The powerband delivers 255Nm from just 1,000rpm for better response off the line. Despite the improvements in perform ance and drivability, the new mill man ages to reduce emissions harmful emis sions such as NOx gasses by 21% and par ticulate matter by 99%, and no the last figure it not a typo. It does this through a series of intelli gent pollution control systems, including a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), Diesel Particulate Diffuser (DPD) and an Intelligent Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system. SHIFTING TOWARDS THE FUTURE Together with the new engine, Isuzu also attached a new 8-speed automatic transmission. Spreading the power over eight for ward ratios compared to the previous six in the 1.9-litre allows for a more effective utilisation of the powerband. Key to reducing power loss is a new shift map for quicker shifts to reduce power loss. It was co-developed with Aisin and shares the same architecture as the unit in the Toyota Land Cruiser 250. No, this does not mean your Isuzu has the same box as the Toyota. Certain components within were adapted to meet Isuzu’s requirements for towing and durability as the D-Max has a

reputation for durability in extreme con ditions. Lastly, the refresh also includes fitting the new automatic in the workhorse sin gle-cab variant. The D-Max 2.2L Single Cab Auto will run the same 8-speed auto matic as the rest of the range but with a revised final drive to better match its greater payload capabilities. This makes it the first automatic single-cab pick-up in Malaysia. THE PRICE TO PAY The entire D-Max range now com prises a total of nine variants, including the 3.0-litre models, and pricing stretches from RM103,121.20 for the D-Max 2.2L 4×4 Single Cab (MT), RM108,888.40 for the D-Max 3.0L 4×4 Single Cab, RM109,321.20 for the D-Max 2.2L 4×4 Single Cab (AT), RM114,271.20 for the D Max 2.2L 4×4 Standard (MT), RM114,671.20 for the D-Max 2.2L 4×2 Plus (AT), RM122,171.20 for the D-Max 2.2L 4×4 Standard (AT), RM141,821.20

for the D-Max 2.2L 4×4 Premium (AT), RM145,138.40 for the D-Max 3.0L 4×4 Premium (AT) and tops out at RM 162,938.40 for the flagship D-Max 3.0L 4×4 X-Terrain. All 2026 D-Max variants come with a 20,000km/2-year free periodic mainte nance service package and enjoy a 150,000km or 5-year warranty, except for the flagship X-Terrain that enjoys a class leading 7-year unlimited mileage war ranty. SPECIFICATIONS Engine: 2.2-litre MaxForce VGS tur bodiesel inline-4, DOHC 16V Power: 163PS Torque: 400Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic PRICE: RM141,821.20 We like: New powertrain’s perform ance. We don’t like: Infotainment screen unreadable under glare.