THE Isuzu D-Max LS-A on October 10-11 demonstrated its power, capability and efficiency during a two-day road trip around Camiguin Island. Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) said the pickup was taken on a lifestyle tour of the island’s well-known and most picturesque spots.
Camiguin, the country’s second smallest island province (Batanes is the smallest), is mountainous. This makes it an ideal venue in which to test a diesel-powered utility workhorse like the D-Max LS-A which, according to IPC, was able to showcase its “tough-enough-for-anything functionality.”
IPC noted Camiguin also offers a rich mix of natural attractions and cultural treasures, which perfectly complements the pickup’s unique combination of modern design, timeless heritage and world-class engineering.
Participants to the Isuzu D-Max LS-A drive on the beach in Camiguin.
The first day of the tour saw the participants take a 30-minute drive from the provincial capital of Mambajao to Taguines Lagoon, then on to nearby J&A Fishpen Resort and Restaurant. From there, a 40-minute drive to the island’s interior brought the group to the Tres Marias Hill, a trio of domes dotting the island’s most prominent geological feature — the towering and still active stratovolcano Mount Hibok-Hibok. A 10-minute drive on unpaved roads then led to the cold yet refreshing Tuasan Falls.
Other sites visited on the first day were the Lanzones Farm and the Sunken Cemetery where the remnants of a graveyard and a town destroyed and sunk into the sea by the explosive birth of nearby Mount Vulcan in the 1870s provided the solemn foreground to a magnificent sunset.
Day Two of the trip had the group spending the morning on the powder-white Sand Bar, reached via a 15-minute speedboat ride on the clear blue Bohol Sea.
IPC President Hajime Koso, in his welcome remarks on the first night of the event, said the D-Max LS-A, with its Blue Power diesel engine, is the company’s “answer to the clamor of customers for reliable, hardworking but fuel-efficient vehicles.”
“This represents nearly a century of Isuzu’s experience and innovation in the design, engineering, and workmanship of diesel-powered utility vehicles. The D-Max LS-A is infused as well with features that address the demands of a market that value both hard work and play, business with leisure,” Koso said.
IPC added that participants doubled their enjoyment of the tour around Camiguin as the pickup provided the power, comfort and confidence to take on the island province’s various road conditions.
The D-Max LS-A is powered by the four-cylinder 4JJ1-TCX, 3.0-liter Blue Power diesel engine that, with an intercooled VGS turbocharger, makes 174hp at 3,600rpm and 380Nm at 1,800rpm-2,800rpm. Either a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift or a six-speed manual transmission with gear shift indicator can be paired with the engine. The D-Max LS-A comes in 4×2 and 4×4 variants.
Marking out the D-Max LS-A’s exterior are a dark gray grille with hood garnish, front bumper guard, one-step black rear bumper, power-folding side-view mirrors in dark gray finish with integrated LED turn signals, and LED rear combination lamps. The under-rail bedliner, cargo extender, roof rail, fender lip over the fender and side moldings are all standard equipment.
Some of the pickup’s cabin features are a multi-information display, an eight-inch touchscreen multimedia system with navigation, automatic climate control, smart entry with push-button ignition, a 12-volt socket, three USB ports and a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with hands-free function and audio controls. The bucket seats in front and backseat with a center armrest are all wrapped in leather, too.
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