BANGKOK: Several car companies have been boasting about their fuel efficiency figures of late. All part of the bigger goal to sell more cars as they chalk up bragging rights from fuel economy runs.

Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Isuzu come immediately to mind.

In the latest round of the Dura-Miles Challenge, Isuzu is at it again and the achievement is indeed remarkable for the distance travelled.

It has once again pushed the envelope by using the D-MAX pick-up truck to go from Bangkok to Singapore, a distance of 1,809km, using less than the full content of its 76-litre fuel tank.



This historic achievement is the first for the second-generation D-MAX, eclipsing the previous version’s record in 2011 when it completed a similar drive from Bangkok to Malacca, a distance of 1,600km.

Four trucks were involved in the feat. They were  a pair each of 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre models with manual and automatic transmissions – all featuring similar selectable 4x4 drivetrains that have long been branded as fuel guzzling features.

The vehicles and the drive were monitored by an Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) officer who also verified upon completion of the Dura-Miles Challenge that all the vehicles were according to manufacturer’s specifications.



The trucks were driven through extreme conditions including 40-degree ambient temperatures through much of Thailand and faced thunderstorms in the evenings in Malaysia. Throughout the drive, the drivers kept the air-conditioning on to fight the sweltering heat.

“While four-wheel drive vehicles offer highly practical solutions to active lifestyle seekers, it suffers from a bad reputation for being heavy on fuel. However, due to Isuzu’s amazing engineering and remarkable power balance, the Isuzu D-MAX is able to offer uncompromised performance and fuel efficiency to motorists,” said Isuzu Malaysia executive director Daisuke Ishida, who was on hand at the Singapore Discovery Centre to welcome the convoy.

Keywords