A few days ago, Isuzu dropped quite the surprise with the announcement of a new diesel engine that will power the D-Max and Mu-X. Dubbed the Maxforce, power and torque figures weren’t revealed when it was first teased.
It didn’t take long for the company to finally reveal the details. With that, the new 2.2-liter diesel has officially been revealed in Thailand with the rest of the region expected to get it down the line.
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So, how much power does it make? The new 2.2-liter Maxforce makes 161hp and 400Nm of torque. This engine is still based on the 1.9-liter BluePower from before, but the extra displacement helps give it more much-needed punch. With the new engine comes a new transmission choice. In this case, it’s an eight-speed automatic. A six-speed manual remains standard.
It’s a marked improvement over the 1.9-liter Bluepower, but you’re probably wondering why it makes a lot less compared to the familiar 3.0-liter. That’s because the 2.2-liter Maxforce won’t replace the 3.0-liter just yet.
Yes, the 3.0-liter diesel will continue to live on. It sees some improvements in the aspect of fuel efficiency, at least that’s what Isuzu says. Power and torque ratings are still the same as before, though. It still makes 189hp and 450Nm, and it doesn’t benefit from the 2.2-liter Maxforce’s eight-speed automatic upgrade. The self-shifter still sticks with six speeds.
It's worth pointing out that that 1.9-liter won't completely go away from the Isuzu engine options list. The engine will hang around longer in mild-hybrid form, but only in the D-Max. The D-Max MHEV makes the same power and torque as the non-electrified version of the 1.9-liter (148hp/350Nm) and only comes with a six-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive combination.
