ISUZU RODEO SINGLE CAB test drive since 2002 pickup
About grated jeans and orange pants
Over the past year, the line of pickups in the Russian market has expanded markedly, which in itself is great, especially given their relatively low price. Another thing is interesting: those few models that are represented by official and independent dealers are strikingly close in tactical and technical characteristics. And they stand approximately the same, and look like. So did Russian pickup fans have a choice or is it only visibility?The Japanese announced the European version of the new ISUZU D-MAX pickup on the eve of the Paris car dealership. What was our amazement when we saw the advertisement of this car on the website of one of the Russian independent dealers, even before Paris ... And since there was a need to begin to beat representatives of all the arriving pickup army to find out who is who, the unconditional interest in It was decided to warm up the newcomer to a match test. Who to take to rivals? Mitsubishi L200 on the market is already an old-timer on the market, Ssangyong Musso Sports will be on sale to the release of this number, Mazda B-Series is not known to the buyer, Toyota Hilux is sold with a more powerful engine ... yeah, Ford Ranger: And only half a year is sold, and In terms of characteristics, it is very close, both in size and mood. We recently tested the American pickup and were very pleased with them, so we take it for the standard.
The history of the river
Since the ISUZU brand is not familiar to all our readers, I will allow a small historical digression. The Japanese company, which is now part of the General Motors family, was formed in 1916 and was called differently and so long that it makes no sense to give its full name. More importantly, she immediately took up car production. Actually, the ISUZU brand appeared in 1933. As a corporate legend says, this is the name of one of the rivers in Japan. In 1936, the first Japanese air cooling diesel diesel was developed, which was put on small trucks. The company launched its first SUV - ISUZU Rodeo/Bighorn in the early eighties, and at the end of the nineties completely stops the production of cars, switching exclusively to vehicles, minivans and pickups. In the middle of this year, at the ISUZU subsidiary in Taiwan, the assembly of the new D-Max pickup, developed together with GM.
Structurally, the new pickup is similar and not like all the previous ISUZU developments. Now they produce several versions of the car - with three diesel and two gasoline engines, with a half -year and double cabin, with automatic and mechanical transmission and configuration options. We had a modification with a 2.5-liter 4JA1-L turbodiesel, a 5-speed manual, hand locks, a double cabin and minimal equipment, but with air conditioning. Ford Ranger is more seriously equipped - he, unlike an opponent, has at least electric windows - and is armed with a 2.5 -liter turbodiesel, a mechanical box and a fifth interior. Actually, it is in this form that the American car is officially supplied to us, although there are options for equipment.
The image matters
It would seem that the appearance cannot be decisive in choosing a vehicle designed to transport potatoes, refrigerators or ATV mud. But not with us and not in this case! The difference in styles is so striking that it is impossible not to note this - after all, there is almost twenty years between Ford Ranger and Isuzu D -Max ... In the silhouette of the Japanese pickup, focus on modern youth, for which the image is everything. In a word, Isuzu looks more interesting than Ford, which can boast of only an abundance of chrome that compensates for its somewhat boring look. The graceful D-Max curves, wonderful headlights, expressive hoods and a false radiator recess form the appearance of a certain tourist equipped in the Haytek style. From D-Max you can easily go out in orange pants, but Ranger asks for good old shabby jeans. On the other hand, the American style can be called real, and Japanese - artificial. And if you take into account that in the 21st century there was little left ...
Wash - at least from a hose
But from the point of view of the comfort of the ISUZU salons, we were somewhat puzzled: instead of the chairs in front of a whole sofa, which is regulated only at a distance to the pedals, all the windows are manual, there is no central lock, there are no mirrors and the audio system, there are six, not four, as in Ranger . When turned on, the air conditioner noticeably strains the engine. True, it is great that the floor is made to detergent, even the transmission tunnel is covered with rubber.
Ford was equipped much richer: an electric package, comfortable chairs, aerial works, leather steering wheel, CD-resort. Moreover, the cost of cars is approximately the same, and the base version of the Ranger is even cheaper. The poverty of the D-Max configuration, however, did not affect the convenience of the driver’s landing and the ergonomics of his workplace. The steering wheel is adjusted along the corner of the column, the legs for the legs could be larger, but overall not bad. The review is excellent, at least better than in Ford. But the fact that there are no airbags is not good. The lack of heating of the seats that is on Ranger is not pleased.
Structurally, pickups are very different. ISUZU D-MAX has a 2.5-liter turbodiesel and Ford Ranger, but the first lower with eight valves on the cylinder, and the second 12-valve OHC. In motion - just heaven and earth. The Japanese is a painful, leisurely grumbler -phlegmatic, and the Yankees are a sharp, restless scream -cholery. Both give out about a hundred horsepower, but at the American engine, the peak of torque is moved to average turnover and the regiment runs to almost 3000 rpm. After 1800 rpm, the turbine is turned on, providing up to 2300 rather peppy pickup. At the ISUZU, the engine gives out maximum traction at 1600 rpm and then gradually fades, so that after 3500, beged finally. It is worth dropping the gas pedal, as the car begins to slowly slow down, as if you switched to a lower gear. As for the turbine, it works absolutely imperceptibly - in the sense that it is not clear when it turns on, and whether it turns on at all ...
In practice, all this means that if on Ranger it can be easily maneuvering in an intensive stream, without feeling accidentally getting into the city with a tractor driver, then D-Max in such a situation shamelessly lags behind. Its acceleration to 100 km/h takes more than 25 seconds - Ford is almost one and a half times more dynamic. But on off -road they change places. On rough terrain, on the way with large potholes, hillocks and pits, Isuzu makes his way calmly, very confidently, without unnecessary jerks and jerks, in second gear. Well, Ranger in the same area behaves like a spaniel at the sight of ducks - it jumps forward, then, resting on the tubercle, almost stalls, then again breaks from under the rider. The characters of both cars can be reconciled by switching to a low row of a handout. In Isuzu, it is traditionally great - the gear ratio of 2.482: 1. In places where Ford has to be thrown on an obstacle with a good kick, D-Max calmly costs moderate gas.
The magic of numbers
The transfer numbers of the manual transmission of our pickups are very close. The first is both Ford and Isuzu is too short, the step is to the second high, then everything is more or less evenly. Touching immediately with the second is unpleasant on both cars, traction is still not enough. But at high speeds, the advantage of a faster Ford motor with approximately equal gear rates of the fifth becomes obvious. After a set of 110 km/h, the Japanese pickup is so sluggish that all desire to accelerate disappears. The American is perfectly accelerated from at least 60, at least from 100, at least from 120 km/h and up to 140 turns for a sweet soul. Isuzu is more suitable for a calm ride, the chassis settings clearly allow you to go at decent speed. Both cars are equipped with rack steering, but on Isuzu D-Max it is more clear and sensitive. However, he cannot boast of a returning effort - Ford Ranger has a little better with this. Well, it is more convenient to steer off -roads if you are on Ford Ranger, since the ISUZU power of the amplifier and its damping properties sometimes lack. Especially if the wheels are on the hub in the mud.
Levers like anchors
After all, the matter was how it was. In the Zvenigorod career, we found the only natural puddle and conceived a picture around it for photography. And there were doubts both with me and a colleague who was not too lazy and poured a way into a coastal sandwriting crawling under his foot ... I, in fact, did not climb there - I just wanted to put the car more equally, and the grass seemed to grow there. It was only right under the turf that was a marshy place of viscosity and depth exactly such that Isuzu failed to the levers of the front independent suspension for half a second. I, I had to hand back, seemed to be a little gas and do not dig under the angry screams! The d-max elastic in the same thing ... And what we just did not do!
They put an ISUZU to everyone that came to hand, and wherever they could reach. The boards were covered under the wheels. Four of the so -called cables bought on the nearest gas station, doubled, stuffed under the bumper ... Stop! And where is the hook, or the eye is towing, or at least something similar? There is not! I could not even imagine this! So that an SUV, a utility, a pickup, finally, without a towing eye? Some kind of heresy! Nevertheless, she was not there. Can you imagine our surprise and disappointment?
Later, our technical expert, Ivan Evdokimov, who arrived at the rescue, discovered in a metal boat, which protruded from the bumper, a hole for a towing hook or a towbar, but the hook actually was not at commits. In a word, somehow, slightly spoiling about the sharp edges of the towel beam, a trophic rope, on the third attempt we pulled outsu out of the swamp. After the evacuation, we examined the place where the pickup was sitting, and discovered traces left by levers of the pendants and the crossbars of the frame, which played the role of a reliable anchor. And the ISUZU wheels were not enough - 225/75 R15, clearly a budget option. Ford on his 265/70 R16 and looked and behaved much more confident.
What conclusions can be drawn after our test? Isuzu D-Max turned out to be a car weighed from contradictions. The appearance, quite corresponding to the spirit of time, incredibly gets along with dynamic characteristics, as if coming from the sixties. The button block control unit is supplemented by manual hubs, which, between us, is far from always bad, and the energy -intensive and comfortable front suspension does not fit with the condo multi -leaf springs from the rear.
To each his own
Ford Ranger against the background of a competitor is seen as more, sorry for the pun, the Pigap Passenger. It is suitable for those who need a universal machine for every day. It is easy to move around the city, and along the highway, and by moderate off -road. ISUZU D-MAX, with all its pijonist form, is perceived as a utilitarian car, for sorties to where it is bad with asphalt. The decisive argument may be the reliability of Isuzu. Although if you imagine it with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel with an intercooler, an automatic gearbox and hub couples, which can be included at speeds up to 100 km/h, then ... However, then it will be a completely different car and it must be compared with other competitors.
SPECIFICATIONS
Ford Ranger
Length/width/height, mm - 5012/1810/1760
Wheel base, mm - 3000
Dor. Line, mm - 208
Complete/Shar. mass, kg - 1710/2845
TOMAL AND COUNT. Tsil. - 4, in -line
Working volume, cubic meter. See - 2378 2495
Max. Power, l. With [Email Protected]rpm - [Email Protected]
Max. Twisting, nm@rpm - [Email Protected]
Transmission - 5mt
Drive - Part -Time
Front/back suspension - torsion/spring
Maximum speed, km/h - 145
Acceleration to 100 km/h, s - 15.7
Average consumption per 100 km, l - 10.3
The volume of the fuel tank, l - 70
Length/width of the cargo compartment, mm - 1350/1536
Price from, euro - 19 270
Isuzu D-Max
Length/width/height, mm - 5020/1800/1730
Wheel base, mm - 3050
Dor. Line, mm - 210
Complete/Shar. mass, kg - 1835/2900
TOMAL AND COUNT. Tsil. - 4, in -line
Working volume, cubic meter - 2495
Max. Power, l. With [Email Protected]rpm - [Email Protected]
Max. Twisting, nm@rpm - [Email Protected]
Transmission - 5mt
Drive - Part -Time
Front/back suspension - torsion/spring
Maximum speed, km/h - 150
Acceleration to 100 km/h, s - 25.2
Average consumption per 100 km, l - 8.5
Fuel tank volume, l - 76
Length/width of the cargo compartment, mm - 1225/1700
Price from, euro - 22,000
Text: Igor Gubar
Source: Magazine 4x4 [10/2004]
