THE OFF-ROAD challenges set up throughout the course were all meant to highlight the all-new D-Max’s off-road features.
Taking your son to an off-road driving clinic definitely does not fall under any of those usual father-child bonding activities. But for Medina (Misamis Oriental) Mayor Ken Niño Uyguangco and Dr. Antonio Linog, the Isuzu D-Max 4×4 Drive Series that was recently held in Cagayan de Oro City served as a perfect occasion to enjoy quality time with their children.
“This sort of event doesn’t happen every day so when we learned about it we decided to spend our Sunday afternoon driving around this short off-road course (built at the back of SM City Cagayan de Oro). This is our chance to really test the pickup’s capabilities while at the same time enjoy the ride with my son Enrico,” said Uyguangco.
Indeed, when the respective turn of the Uyguangcos and Linogs came up, both father-and-son pairs enjoyed the course’s 40-degree hill climb section wherein they were asked to intentionally stall the vehicle midway into the climb; 40-degree descent section wherein they were asked to keep their foot off the brakes; drive over “elephant” holes; tackle trail ruts; traverse a roundabout cone that tilted their pickup sideways at 45 degrees; and do lateral descent ditch crossing.
These off-road challenges were all meant to highlight a number of the all-new D-Max’s features: four-wheel drive Terrain Command Select Dial (that allows the driver to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive high even while traveling at speeds of up to 100 kph); 30-degree approach angle; a 22.7-degree departure angle; ability of the pickup to be tilted sideways to up to 49-degrees; and limited slip differential (that distributes power to the wheels that still have traction and thus ensure safety when negotiating uneven or slippery surfaces).
THE 3-DAY-LONG Isuzu D-Max 4×4 Drive Series, which has already visited four major cities around the Philippines, was able to attract not only individuals but also families seeking a different thrill.
Overview
According to Beeboy Bargas of Landcraft Adventures Inc., the short off-road course he designed for the Isuzu D-Max 4×4 Drive Series was conceived to give participants an overview of what an extreme off-road situation is. “It should be fun since they don’t encounter these sort of obstacles every day. Moreover, since it takes different skills to negotiate some of the tricky sections of the course, an off-road expert accompanies the driver to give pointers. We also stationed spotters at various sections of the course to guide the driver where to go,” Bargas said.
‘Quite exhilarating’
“The drive was quite exhilarating as my son—25-year-old Elijohn Anthon—was amazed at the toughness of the all-new pick-up. We also got some pointers from the expert regarding how we should tackle a particular off-road challenge, which is helpful should we encounter a number of them in one of our future trips,” said Linog who owns a first-generation D-Max as well as a Crosswind Asian utility vehicle.
Apart from featuring what the latest 4×4 pickup model could do, IPC president Nobuo Izumina said the event was also conceived to attract families who prefer a different type of adventure. “This is truly a family event as we found out in the first four cities we have visited: San Fernando City in Pampanga; Mandaue City in Cebu; Bacolod City in Negros Occidental; and Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental. As we culminate in Lanang, Davao City, on June 20 to 22, we also expect a similar gathering,” said Izumina.
Izumina said with more than a thousand individuals who already test drove the all-new D-Max around their purposely built course, Isuzu is hoping to create stronger ties between the markets. “Who knows, we might even convince a lot of them to buy the 4×4 considering this variant is our toughest in tackling extreme road conditions. It is interesting to note that this area, which is the Northern Mindanao, has been one of our biggest markets. People here love the Isuzu and in fact, a number of our loyal customers here still own a Fuego, a pickup model we sold from 1997 to 2003 and which, preceded the D-Max model,” said Izumina.
TO ensure safety, guides are stationed on more challenging sections.
He also said that Isuzu Cagayan De Oro president and general manager Frank Rolida as well as assistant general manager and sales manager George Ongchua have reported receiving numerous inquiries about the 4×4 variants when it was introduced in the region late last year. “There is a growing market for 4×4 pickup here as more and more families are attracted to various outdoor recreational activities that the region now offers (white water rafting, nature parks, trekking). Of course, we also have many clients who require do-it-all and dependable pickup that they could use for their business,” said Ongchua.
Izumina agreed, saying: “Since the introduction of the D-Max more than a decade ago, the pickup has steadily built a reputation for being a durable workhorse that one can depend on in both livelihood and leisure—the more than 23,000 proud owners of the model vouch for this.”
Photos by Charles E. Buban
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