With diesel prices projected to go up by about PHP 4.00 per liter next week and once again breach the Php 70-mark, you wonder how SUVs and pickups with CRDI turbocharged diesel engines can be a sustainable choice. Even with skyrocketing fuel prices, Isuzu maintains that its two best-sellers, the D-MAX, and the mu-X, have fuel economy on their side.
In a recent fuel efficiency run supervised by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), Isuzu sent off a D-MAX 3.0L 4x2 LS-A AT and a mu-X 3.0L 4x2 LS-A AT on a 5-day journey to see how far they both models can run on a full tank. The Isuzu Challenge route took the teams from Subic to as far north as Cagayan during the height of typhoon Florita. This made their run extra tricky, with roadblocks hampering the teams’ progress. They then circled back through the twisty mountain roads of Nueva Vizcaya and headed back through metro traffic to Alabang.
But their run did not stop there. Both vehicles still pushed southward toward Bicol, where the D-MAX eventually logged an astounding 1,564 km and a 20.58 km/l result on its full tank. The Isuzu mu-X, with its bigger 80-liter fuel tank, recorded a total 1,675 km distance traveled and a resulting 20.94 km/l fuel efficiency figure.
Daytime running, sunny and hot, air-con on, and three passengers in the vehicle; these were just some of the conditions the Isuzu Challenge went through. PHOTO FROM ISUZU PHILIPPINES CORP.
Both the Isuzu D–MAX pickup and mu-X 7-seater SUV have the 3.0-liter 4JJ3-TCX engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting doing the heavy lifting. While we don’t know the tactics employed by the drivers and the driving conditions the team had to endure to attain these numbers, it is still worth noting that in the real world, with traffic, rough roads, winding mountain passes, and everything in between, one can make a modern-day diesel-fed Isuzu run as efficiently as the challenge has demonstrated.
IPC Vice President for Sales Yasuhiko Oyama acknowledged the impact of rising fuel prices and how Isuzu vehicles are offering a viable alternative to budget-conscious Filipinos. “More than highlighting Isuzu’s superiority when it comes to diesel engine technology, we would like to provide solutions to our customers, especially in the face of increasing fuel prices. Excellent fuel economy is just one of the many Isuzu advantages they can enjoy while driving these models,” said Oyama.
Have the Isuzu Challenge results convinced you to shortlist the Isuzu D-MAX and mu-X for your next vehicle purchase?
With an automotive career spanning 27 years as a former touring car racer turned automotive journalist and photographer, Mikko also handled marketing and PR for two major Japanese car brands before finding peace and purpose in sharing his views about cars, driving, and mobility.
