Isuzu D-Max named 'Best-in-Class Pickup Truck' at 17th C! Awards

MANILA: The Isuzu D-Max was hailed as the Best-in-Class Pickup Truck at the 17^th Annual C! Awards organized by C! Magazine.

The C! Awards is one of the most respected award-giving bodies in the automotive industry. The jury is made up of members of C! Magazine’s editorial staff who got behind the wheel of each of the vehicles before casting judgment. “We’re very strict. Even if you’re part of the team, if you don’t have experience, in that particular genre, you can’t vote,” C! Magazine President, Founding Editor, and Editorial Director Kevin Limjoco stated.

The factors considered during the judging process are overall dynamic performance, instrumented performance testing, aesthetic/design, packaging/standard equipment, comforts/luxuries, safety, efficiency, audio/infotainment quality, length of factory warranties, extent of supported aftersales maintenance, pride of ownership, value-for-money, resale values, and more.

The D-Max stood out among the nominated pickup trucks, thanks to its network of safety features that operate automatically and independently. Its new advanced driver assist system (ADAS) includes a first-in-class Smart Duo Cam which consistently scans the surroundings to measure the distance of every obstruction on the road. It can detect 3D objects with its dual camera setup, similar to how human eyes discern depth of field.

The D-Max now comes with a number of active safety features, including pre-crash safety, speed assist, lane support, and headlamp control. An eight-eye parking aid with reverse camera, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert are also available with ADAS.

As a result of these significant upgrades, the D-Max got a perfect five-star rating from an international testing body, the ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

The D-Max is engineered to deliver a superior driving experience, with durability, power, performance, innovation, and safety features that can take every occupant to new heights.

In an interview, Limjoco, who is also the head juror, shared how the D-Max impressed the jury, saying, “On its own, not only is the D-Max at its very best, the D-Max has never been as good as it is, until this model. It’s spectacular. Now when you compare it to its competition, that’s where it really started to present all its benefits — that it is the most comfortable, the interior, similar to whatever is in the mu-X, it has the most sophisticated, the most elegant interior. All the little adjustments to the suspension, the increase of the brakes, all the different performance upgrades were very significant. It’s a balance of all these things all put together.”

“There are vehicles in the market that look great but don’t perform well. With the D-Max, it does it all. It actually is,” Limjoco added. “You know that it has the Isuzu reliability, you know that it has the strength, all the users are looking for. The D-Max on road is quicker. If you look carefully at the acceleration run and speed, on road performance of the D-Max, is actually superior. It’s quicker, it handles better. When you put all the reasons together, it was a slam-dunk for the D-Max.”

In a statement, Isuzu Philippines Corporation Hajime Koso expressed his gratitude to C! Magazine and to all the members of the jury. “IPC is honored to receive this award and we share this honor with our dealers and with our valued customers. The D-Max is a symbol of our vision for sustainable development as it has undergone continuous innovations to help protect and save the environment for future generations, without compromising its looks, comfort and performance. We stay true to our commitment, ‘Your responsible partner.’ That is why at IPC we strive to be the vital engine for Philippine society on the road to progress and towards a sustainable automotive chain,” he stated.

To learn more about the all-new D-Max and Isuzu’s complete product lineup, log on to www.isuzuphil.com and follow Isuzu Philippines on Facebook.

Photos from Isuzu Philippines Corporation and Roy Robles

Also read: Isuzu PH donates another D-Max pickup truck to the Red Cross