MANILA: The Isuzu D-Max won in the latest round of the 2024 Philippine Rallycross Series, continuing its dominance in one of the most prominent off-road racing events in the country.

Held at the CDS Offroad Playground located at Arden Botanical Estate in Cavite, the Isuzu D-Max — piloted by champion rally driver Louis Camacho — outperformed its competitors in both the UV (Utility Vehicle) Class and Pickup Class.

The Isuzu D-Max navigated the two-kilometer dirt track and recorded the fastest lap time of 2:22 minutes. Currently, it leads the UV Class with 123.5 points and tops the Pickup Class standing with 137.5 points.

“We are very much impressed by the power and performance that the D-Max can provide while on the track. You can actually feel that this vehicle is designed for this kind of motorsport and can even go through more challenging tracks. With little modifications on its tires and wheels, we are able to create a champion on the dirt track,” Camacho commented.

Since 2022, the Isuzu D-Max has held the championship title in the Pick-up category. With two more rounds remaining, the D-Max is poised to retain its championship status.

“We are very confident that we will take home the championship again this year, the D-Max is very capable and couple it with the expertise of our team driver we have a perfect combination this year. Not just in the Philippine but even in the other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, the D-Max model really shows stellar performance in this type of motorsports, which is why we want to promote this kind of activity to our customers, especially younger generation to try this sport and discover the joy of driving on dirt,” Isuzu Philippines Incorporated Assistant Sales Division Head Robert Carlos stated.

In stock form, the Isuzu D-Max is fitted with either a 1.9-liter RZ4E-TC Blue Power diesel engine or a 3.0-liter 4JJ3-TCX Blue Power diesel mill. The former makes as much as 147 horsepower with 350 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque while the latter produces some 187 horses with 150 Nm of pulling power.

Below are some of its notable features:

• 800-millimeter water wading depth
• Auto tensioner
• Durable Chassis
• Smart Duo Camera
• Rear radars
• Forward collision warning
• Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function
• Turn assist
• Pedal misapplication mitigation
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Multi-collision braking
• Lane departure warning
• Automatic high beam
• Seven airbags
• ISOFIX tethers
• Anti-lock braking with electronic brakeforce distribution
• Remote control key with passive entry and start system
• Power-adjust seats

The Isuzu D-Max is currently offered in nine variants and is priced from P917,000 to P1.580 million.

Photos from Isuzu

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