Isuzu D-MAX records 19.3 kms. per liter on a full tank

MANILA, Philippines -SINCE 2002 Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) has been at the forefront of promoting fuel efficiency, and one of the ways in which it conducts this is through the annual Isuzu Challenge.

Last April 17 to 19, IPC staged the first leg of the “2013 Isuzu Challenge” where the Isuzu D-MAX LS 4x2 pickup with manual transmission demonstrated its fuel efficiency over a predetermined route. For the two remaining legs of the event that are scheduled in May and June, the vehicles to be used are the Isuzu Crosswind XT and the Isuzu NHR.

In this year’s staging of the event, a driver and a route navigator (Francisco “Bebot” Reyes, Jr. and Francis “Ivan” Isada) assigned by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) were aboard the vehicle. The pair was joined by a verifier (Michael Mercado, corporate consultant and head of training and research from the Smart Driving Corporation) who vouched for the authenticity of the fuel consumption and mileage readings that result from the runs. Each vehicle had one full tank of fuel, and the fuel consumption was determined by how far the vehicle traveled.

During the first leg, the D-MAX was flagged off from Isuzu Manila on April 17 and was driven to Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The following day it headed north toward Pagudpud before looping back down to Tuguegarao and Isabela. Over the entire route that saw a mix of Metro Manila traffic, provincial highways, and uphill and downhill portions, the D-MAX was driven at normal speeds, had the air-conditioning switched on and adhered to traffic laws.

At the 1,233-kilometer mark, in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, the D-MAX’s low-fuel warning indicator lit up. But the vehicle came to a full stop almost 234 kilometers farther, in San Jose/Ibaan at Star Toll in Batangas, where it logged a total distance traveled of 1,467 kilometers. With the D-MAX having had 76 liters of fuel on board at the start, the result is an average fuel consumption of 19.3 kilometers per liter.    

“This remarkable result once again fortifies the Isuzu D-MAX’s well-deserved reputation for fuel efficiency,” said former IPC president Ryoji Yamazaki. “That this pickup is truly a workhorse as well makes it an ideal choice for people who need the perfect vehicle for both business and leisure.”