The Chevrolet D-Max was the Chevrolet version of the Isuzu D-Max, a pickup truck that Isuzu has built in Thailand since 2002. In several markets the two were sold side by side, and the first two generations of the D-Max shared their platform with the Chevrolet Colorado.
Chevrolet D-Max at a glance
| Production | since 2002 |
|---|---|
| Maker | Isuzu, sold with Chevrolet badges in some markets |
| Class | Compact pickup, mid-size from the third generation |
| Built in | Thailand |
| Platform | shared with the Chevrolet Colorado in the first two generations |
| Predecessor | Isuzu Faster / KB |
| First engines | 2.5 and 3.0-litre turbo-diesels |
| Later engines | DDi iTEQ common-rail family from 2004 |
| Related SUV | MU-7, later MU-X |
| Holden version | Holden Rodeo to 2008, then Holden Colorado |
The article is based on the English Wikipedia page on the Isuzu D-Max, which covers the Chevrolet-badged versions; it is written from the Chevrolet point of view.
History of the Chevrolet D-Max
The D-Max had its world premiere in Thailand in 2002, a year in which GM and Isuzu had just closed their small truck plant in Japan and moved the joint operation to Thailand. It replaced the Isuzu Faster and KB, and the initial range ran from a single-cab Spark in two-wheel drive to SpaceCabs, Cab4 double cabs and four-wheel-drive Rodeo-badged versions. The first engines were the 2.5 and 3.0-litre turbo-diesels carried over from the previous model. The almost identical Chevrolet Colorado appeared in Thailand in early 2004, and the two shared the same platform.
In October 2004 Isuzu introduced the DDi iTEQ family of common-rail diesel engines, starting with a 3.0-litre unit of 146 PS, followed in early 2005 by a 2.5-litre version of 116 PS. A facelift in the third quarter of 2006 added a variable-geometry turbo version of the 3.0 and new manual and automatic gearboxes. Isuzu marked 50 years in Thailand with the Gold Series for 2008, replaced later in 2008 by the Platinum models, and in 2009 by the Super Platinum range with revised trim and equipment. Over the years the D-Max and the related MU-7 SUV also gained a long series of special editions for the Bangkok motor shows.
In Australasia the same truck was sold as the Holden Rodeo from 2003 to 2008, when it was relaunched as the Holden Colorado and the Isuzu D-Max name was introduced alongside it. The D-Max has an SUV counterpart on the same platform, the MU-7 for the first generation and the MU-X afterwards, and in its third generation it shares its platform with the Mazda BT-50, built in the same Isuzu plant in Thailand.
Design and features
- Thai-built: the D-Max has been produced in Thailand since its launch in 2002.
- Colorado twin: the first two generations shared their platform with the Chevrolet Colorado.
- DDi iTEQ diesels: Isuzu’s common-rail engine family arrived in 2004.
- Many body styles: single cab, SpaceCab, Cab4 and four-wheel-drive versions from the start.
Chevrolet D-Max versions
- Spark single cab: the basic two-wheel-drive work truck.
- SpaceCab and Cab4: the extended and double-cab versions.
- Hi-Lander: a raised two-wheel-drive model with four-wheel-drive ground clearance.
- Holden Rodeo and Holden Colorado: the Australasian versions of the same truck.
The D-Max shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado and belongs with the other pickups in the Chevrolet collection.
Sources
- Isuzu D-Max, English Wikipedia: history, engines, markets, related models
