SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a prepared course chosen to make the product look good. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.

More models, more safety, more fun in 2015 Isuzu KBs

Known as Isuzu D-Max in some markets

One more lifeline

Posted: 20 September 2015

•    More power for 2.5-litre engine
•    Three new models
•    Android connectivity, satnav and reversing camera      for top versions
•    ESC adds safety (off-road flexibility too)
•    At Last! 4x4 for the 3.0 auto

Isuzu’s sixth-gen KB was given a face- and equipment lift late last year, so we won’t bother with that again. The real news is in the teaser above, so read on:

The mainstay 2.5 litre D-TEQ diesel has gained power, thanks to a new variable geometry turbocharger, moving up from 85 kilowatts and 280 Newton metres to 100 kW and 320 Nm. Fans of plain vanilla grunt ponies have not been forgotten however. The KB250 LEED, 58 kW and170 Nm, engine soldiers on in single-cab Base and Fleetside versions. All gearboxes are five-speed and no petrol versions have been available since late 2014.

The model range increases from 15 to 18 by adding a pair of KB250 Fleetsides – extended- and double cab - and the new flagship KB300 LX double cab 4x4 automatic. It’s been too long coming, so we’re very glad to see it. In keeping with recreational and business users’ preferences for more luxurious surroundings, 3.0-litre d/c models are very highly spec’ed.

For full connectivity and satellite map-reading, in case they get lost somewhere, users will appreciate the locally developed navigation and entertainment centre, with 6.5” touch screen, on KB300 double-cabs. It uses Android Gingerbread software because the OS has proven solid, reliable and, with a couple of modifications, ideal for automotive use. No jelly beans, KitKats, lollipops or marshmallows were harmed during its creation.

Also pointed out, is that the entertainment centre boasts two USB sockets; one of which facilitates quicker charging of Apple devices.  Maps are by TomTom. A reversing camera, well placed to help drivers line up accurately with trailer couplings, is included; as is engine stop / start and passive entry with push-button starting.

Good news for those who expect top-level safety in their KBs is that electronic stability control (ESC), successfully integrated with SA-optimised suspension, is now standard on every model from KB250 LE single cab upward. It integrates ABS, BAS, EBD, ESP and traction control to keep you safe when emergencies intrude and you run out of talent. It has an unexpected side benefit as four-wheel drive aid too, but read on.

So-called soft road vehicles use torque-sensing (Torsen) differentials to transfer power away from slipping wheels, to those in contact with Mother Earth, so they can claw free. Isuzus and other traditional off-road machines use selectable four-wheel drive that applies power to both axles together, but even they can get stuck if a front and a rear wheel lose traction simultaneously. The classic last resort is a lockable rear differential that keeps power flowing to the grounded back wheel, thereby scrabbling itself free. 

But; ‘ello, wot’s this? That lovely ESC kit effectively does the same thing as a Torsen diff. It intervenes, with selective braking, to transfer power back to the wheels with grip. Your new Isuzu thus gives you one more lifeline before, in desperate circumstances, you need to call up the difflock.

The driving experience: The trip to our overnight stop at a tented game lodge took us over a rugged mountain pass that hadn’t seen a maintenance crew for some time. Let’s just say it was moderately challenging 4x4 country. Imagine our surprise when we swapped over to a 4x2 single cab for the journey down the other side. That descent was hectic enough, but it had made it to the top in the first place. Respect, please.

Ride quality felt harsher than we are accustomed to in Isuzus, but we suspect that tyre pressures had been increased to help ward off punctures. Not all journalists are used to reading the terrain ahead and sharp rocks sometimes go unnoticed until it’s too late. By the next morning all was good again as we convoyed to a commercial off-road course with the usual ultra-steep hills, man-made washaways, side slopes, rocky sections and log-bridge.

That was where the Isuzu Off-Road Academy team demonstrated the crawl in-crawl out, low range manoeuvre through offset axle twisters – with and without difflock – to illustrate how ESC intervention is sometimes able to get you through. It’s hard to describe just when the lazy way will work and when it won’t. You have to be in your own situation to find out.

An instructor also demonstrated, by leaving the ESC alternately on and “all systems off”, what happens in a double panic-swerve in fine dust at 70 km/h.  Let’s just say the difference was dramatically educational. And that it’s scary to remember that this kit was unavailable in most vehicles just ten years ago. Thousands of drivers have had their sorry butts rescued without realising it.

Information gathered at a manufacturer-sponsored media event

The numbers
Single cab prices range from R219 400 to R410 000.
Extended cab prices range from R317 000 to R407 500
Double cab prices range from R325 700 to R529 700
Engine specifications:
KB250 LEED motor - 2499 cc, direct injection, four-cylinder diesel.
Power / Torque: 58 kW at 3800 rpm / 170 Nm at 1800 rpm
Fuel: 500 ppm diesel, but 50 ppm recommended
KB250 D-TEQ motor – 2499 cc, commonrail turbodiesel.
Power / Torque: 100 kW at 3600 rpm and 320 Nm between 1800 and 2800 rpm
Fuel: 50 ppm diesel, but 500 ppm usable
KB300 D-TEQ motor – 2999 cc, commonrail turbodiesel
Power / Torque: 130 kW at 3600 rpm and 380 Nm between 1800 and 2800 rpm
Fuel: 50 ppm diesel, but 500 ppm usable
Fuel economy, performance and load capacity varies according to engine, drivetrain and body style
Tank: 80 litres
Warranty: 5 years / 120 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km; at annual or 15 000 km intervals

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.