The fifth-generation Isuzu one tonne bakkie is bigger than its predecessor, but boasts shorter overhangs, which not only gives it an aggressive pug-nosed look, but improves off-road capability. It also has a longer wheelbase and a larger cab, with bigger, wider opening doors, and most of the sheet metal used is thicker than that off the outgoing model. Comfort levels have been upgraded, with chunkier foot pedals that offer a better action, a glovebox light, a 12 volt auxiliary outlet alongside the cigarette lighter, more comfortable seats and, in some models, height adjustable seats and steering wheels. If you’re the kind who likes everything in its own place you’ll rejoice at the abundance of storage bins and cup holders in the cabs.
But this is above all a bakkie, and meant to work, so the loadbox of the new Isuzu has received special attention to make it more suitable for heavy duty tasks. The tailgate now hangs on four hinges instead of three, and on the double cab versions there’s now a central release catch rather than two side catches. The sheet metal used to fabricate the bin is 15% thicker than the old material, and because workhorse models are less likely to be fitted with canopies than double cabs these models are fitted with rugged exterior tie-down hooks and twin side mounted tailgate latches.
Double cabs have shorter bins than their single cab stablemates, so the Isuzu four-seaters now have deeper bins to allow a decent load to be carried in the reduced floor space. All models now have increased payloads over their predecessors.
General Motors says that special attention was given to those old enemies – noise, vibration and hardness. Wheel arch liners help prevent transmission of road noise and gravel splatter on dirt roads, and insulation materials have been used extensively to quieten things down inside.
The new Isuzu KB series’ active safety measures move it to the top of the class amongst bakkies. All LX specification derivatives now boast three channel ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and the double cabs all feature dual front airbags. A welcome bit of news is that when the passenger side airbag deploys, only it and a replaceable cover need be refitted. In most vehicles the entire dashboard has to be replaced at huge expense, so cost savings after a minor accident could be significant in the Isuzu.
Security too has received attention. The new Isuzu bakkies have a transponder key immobiliser system, and drivers in high-crime areas will be pleased to hear that the spare wheel can now be locked in place with a decent quality lock, operated by the ignition key. An utrasonic alarm system and remote central locking comes standard in the LX specification single cabs and all double cabs. A welcome feature is the auto window close facility – it’s most annoying to return to a locked vehicle and find that one of the kids has left their window open. Hold the door lock button down on the Isuzu’s key and any open windows will close automatically as the doors lock .
The new Isuzu bakkies allow buyers to choose between four specification levels, five engines and two or four-wheel drive. The diesel engines consist of a 58 kW 2,5 litre four cylinder unit with a low pressure turbo – which GM calls an “altitude compensator” – and a three litre intercooled turbodiesel that delivers 96 kW and 280 Nm of torque. Petrol engines are an 88 Kw two litre four cylinder unit (available only from November), a four cylinder 2,4 litre engine with 94 kW and 207 Nm, and a beefy 3,5 litre aluminium V6 that produces 147 kW and 280 Nm.
We drove the Isuzus through the beautiful Namib Desert near Swakopmund, into the Khan River Valley, where the landscape is so surreal that locals swear the Americans used it to fake the moon-landing footage. We passed through the abandoned Khan mine village, abandoned sometime in the mid 20th Century, and pondered upon how inhospitable this terrain must have been for the South African and German soldiers who skirmished there in the early days of WW1. Namibian conservationist Rod Braby tells me there’s a cemetery about 40 km from where we were, and most of the war-dead buried there came from Hillcrest near Durban. One day I’ll return and research their sacrifice.
But this is about bakkies in Africa, and we found the Isuzus very effective in tough going. The four-wheel-drive versions now have push-button 4X4, with dash-mounted buttons allowing you to switch between 2 High and 4 High on the fly at up to 100 km/hr in the LX derivatives, which have auto-locking hubs. LE versions have manually locking hubs that need to be engaged with the vehicle at a standstill. A rear diff lock is standard on the double cabs and 4X4 versions, and available as an option in the base models.
The new Isuzu KB series of bakkies is a class act that we’re sure will elevate GM’s bakkie sales by a good few hundred units every month. Prices start at R147 949 for the basic 240i long-wheelbase Fleetside and go up to R323 133 for the flagship KB 300 TDi double cab 4X4 LX. All are covered by a 3 year / 100 000 km warranty.