Isuzu D-Max gets new 2.2L Ddi MaxForce engine – replaces 1.9L, 163 PS/400 Nm, lower FC, 8-speed AT

Nearly ten years after introducing the RZ4E-TC 1.9 litre Ddi BluePower four-cylinder turbodiesel in the D-Max pick-up truck and MU-X SUV, Isuzu has given the oil burner a right shot in the arm thanks to a comprehensive update. Now called the Ddi MaxForce, this essentially all-new mill boasts improved performance and fuel efficiency while delivering lower emissions.

The revised RZ4F-TC has received a bump in displacement to 2.2 litres, while the cylinders themselves have been redesigned with a high-flow lubrication system and a high-swirl combustion chamber to improve combustion efficiency. Ultra-low-friction pistons, an electronic variable geometry turbocharger, higher-pressure direct injectors (now operating at up to 250 MPa) and a multi-core ECU have also been added.

Increased performance is a given – the MaxForce engine now makes 163 PS at 3,600 rpm and 400 Nm of torque from 1,600 to 2,400 rpm, increases of 13 PS and 50 Nm over the old 1.9 litre unit. Arguably more impressive, however, is the improvement in step-off performance, thanks to a massive 56% increase in torque from a standstill. Isuzu also claims a 10.7% reduction in extra-urban fuel consumption, as well as the lowest carbon dioxide emissions in its class.

Paired to the revised engine is a new eight-speed Rev Tronic automatic transmission, designed to keep the mill in its optimum rev range; a six-speed manual is also available. Isuzu says the engine has been tested over 2.2 million kilometres to ensure it retains the company’s famed reliability.

The engine replaces the 1.9 litre mill in the vast majority of applications, save for the recently-launched mild hybrid variant. The larger 3.0 litre 4JJ3-TCX mill soldiers on, now also rechristened the MaxForce and the aforementioned multi-core ECU, although outputs remain the same at 190 PS and 450 Nm. The update also brings a new colour, Elbrus Grey Opaque, to the D-Max range.