Isuzu Malaysia is at it again – embarking on another long-distance drive to demonstrate the exceptional fuel efficiency of its D-MAX pick-up truck.
This time, a D-MAX with the latest 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine will be used for the D-MAX One-Tank One Nation Challenge. Starting from an Isuzu dealership in Balakong, Selangor, the objective is to drive a full loop around Peninsular Malaysia – without refuelling.
6-day drive
The event will take 6 days, during which time the D-MAX will make stops at Isuzu dealerships stopovers in Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Pahang, Kelantan, Kedah, and Perak before concluding in Kuala Lumpur.
Throughout the journey, Brand Ambassador Baki Zainal will provide updates, host pit-stops and meet the public at the dealerships along the route.
Guess the distance
Isuzu Malaysia also invites the public to guess the total distance the vehicle will have travelled when it returns to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The top prize for this contest is a RM5,000 grocery shopping voucher for the entrant who submits a distance closest to the recorded distance by the vehicle. There are also other prizes for those who come close to the final figure.
Link to website for submitting entries in comments
Optimized for fuel efficiency
The 2.2-litre powerplant with a new 8-speed automatic transmission is offered in a number of variants of the D-MAX. According to Isuzu Malaysia Chief Operating Officer Kenichi Kudo, the engine delivers 56% of its maximum torque starting at 1,000 rpm, optimizing both acceleration efficiency and high-speed highway cruising.
“We believe that the new Isuzu D-MAX featuring the ‘best engine ever’ 2.2-litre powerplant possesses the ideal qualities for such a daunting challenge,” said Mr. Kudo.
History of long-distance runs
For the past 20 years, Isuzu Malaysia has demonstrated the fuel efficiency of different generations of the D-MAX with such runs that were called the ‘Dura Miles Challenge‘.
The most impressive was the run from Thailand to Klang. Three units of D-MAX covered over 2,000 kms on a single 76-litre tank of fuel and got into the Malaysia Book of Records for their achievement.
That achievement broke an earlier record of driving 1,809 kms from Bangkok to Singapore on one tank, as well as an extreme mountain challenge where a fully loaded 1.9-litre Single Cab variant completed a 1,000-km route through the Titiwangsa mountain range – with fuel to spare.
