The all-new RZ4F MaxForce unit is currently being tested, but won't be introduced in a rushed capacity to replace the recently reworked 1.9.
Isuzu’s new 2.2-litre MaxForce diesel engine is coming to South Africa, but won’t be rushed as a replacement for the reworked 1.9. Picture: Isuzu Thailand via headlightmag.com
Isuzu Motors South Africa has reiterated that while its new 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine has received market approval, it won’t be hurried into introducing it after recent revisions to the older 1.9-litre unit.
Making it ready
Back in February, Isuzu’s Executive Vice-President for Manufacturing and Product Engineering Dominic Rimmer indicated that while examples of the internally named RZ4F MaxForce are in the country, it would first need to be tested in local market conditions before sales could start.
“We are looking at the 2.2, but we first need to test it locally. It will come, but we need to make it ready for South Africa,” he said.
Single and now twin-turbos
Officially introduced two years ago, the 2.2 comes from the same family as the 1.9 that carries the RZ4E-TC internal name, but develops 10kW/50Nm more for a total of 120kW/400Nm.
Last month, the brand debuted the new twin-turbo versions speculated to replace the stalwart N-series truck-derived 3.0-litre, which has been constantly updated since it first premiered in 2002.
Isuzu’s second twin-blown oil-burner after the 2.5-litre 4JK-1E5-TC that produced 120kW/400Nm in the previous generation D-Max sold exclusively in Europe, the 2.2 outputs 150kW/500Nm, which represents an increase of 10kW/50Nm over the 3.0-litre 4JJ3-TCX.
Unchanged picture for South Africa, for now
Already sold in single and twin-turbo forms in Thailand, with the former having since having replaced the 1.9 in Australia, the South African-spec facelift D-Max retained both the 1.9 and 3.0-litre, but with a series of revisions to the former.
This also extended to the MU-X, whose line-up saw not only the updated engine but a more affordable four-wheel drive variant using the 1.9 in August.
‘We won’t rush it’
“You never say never. It is all about timing and how it rolls into our model year cycle,” Isuzu Motors South Africa Vice-President of Sales Craig Uren told The Citizen at the brand’s Mobility Experience event held at Red Star Raceway outside Delmas on Monday (9 November).
“Obviously, we have just introduced the new 1.9, which performs phenomenally and isn’t that far off from the 2.2. So, the need to rush the 2.2 is, in our view, not that necessary because you have the 1.9.”
Reiterating Rimmer’s comments, Uren said the 2.2 is “on the horizon” for South Africa, but added that proper compliance testing needs to take place first.
“We want to make sure that we give to the customer what is relevant for our environment. When we go with new technology, we have to be very cognisant of the environment we live in,” he said.
“It is not a perfect world as we want it to be and we don’t want to make that a customer’s problem. We will test it and make sure it performs in our environment, hence why are not rushing (the 2.2’s market’s introduction)”.
Uren concluded by saying, “Time passes us by very quickly, and I am sure (the 2.2) will arrive, not as fast as everyone wants, but it will be part of plans going forward.”
