No, it’s not the early 2000s – minitrucks are back, at least if this Isuzu concept is anything to go by.
At the recent Bangkok motor show, Isuzu unveiled the Dragon Max, a modified version of its third-generation Faster ute, fitted with running gear from the new D-Max.
If the ute looks familiar to you, that’s because it was sold here as the TF-generation Holden Rodeo from 1988 to 2002, though the Dragon Max is based on the earlier pre-facelift versions.
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Its relatively low-set design, aftermarket lights and larger wheels should be familiar to anyone who remembers the minitruck scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Rodeos, Mazda Bravos and Toyota HiLuxes were modified to be street cruisers rather than off-road bruisers.
In the case of the Toyotas, such vehicles were commonly nicknamed ‘LowLuxes’.
Back to the Isuzu Dragon Max, whose ‘restomod’ appearance is highlighted by the fitment of LED lights, boxy wheel-arches, a sportier body kit and five-spoke wheels, wrapped in Yokohama performance tyres.
Its upgraded credentials are also evident with Brembo brakes and lowered suspension, meaning it’ll likely handle better than most modern utes.
Things are more serious under the bonnet, where the stock engine has been swapped out for the new RZ4F, a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, which will soon replace the entry-level 1.9-litre and sit below Isuzu’s legendary 4J 3.0-litre.
Isuzu hasn’t just dropped in the new engine in standard form, instead tuning its new oiler to produce 162kW and 550Nm – up 42kW and 150Nm on what now powers entry-level versions of the D-Max and MU-X in Thailand.
Behind it sits an eight-speed automatic transmission, with drive sent to the rear wheels.
Inside, there’s copious amounts of suede trim and carbon-fibre highlights, while a digital instrument cluster now sits behind a modern Isuzu steering wheel, and a tablet-style screen is fitted to the dashboard.
Unfortunately, there are no plans to put it into production, however, this is yet another example of a ute being dropped in order to improve on-road performance, rather than raise it up to perform better off-road.
The Ford Ranger MS-RT is available in Europe, the UK and Thailand as a lowered, sporty street truck, while the Ford Maverick Lobo is also sold in the US with modifications to make it perform better on tarmac rather than the jobsite.
MORE: Isuzu D-Max, MU-X’s new small diesel detailed, won’t replace 3.0-litre
