Isuzu has handed the D-Max and MU-X an update – though no changes have been made to the exterior or interior; instead revisions lie beneath the bonnet. Indeed, replacing the 1.9-litre turbocharged oil-burner, the Japanese automaker’s popular bakkie and its seven-seater SUV sibling has received a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel mill, which joins the 3.0-litre unit in the range.
The new 2.2-litre engine produces 120 kW and 400 N.m – the full complement of the latter available from 1 600 r/min. Compared to the outgoing, 1.9-litre oil-burner, the new powerplant delivers an additional 10 kW and 50 N.m of torque. The 2.2-litre engine is exclusively coupled with a new Aisin eight-speed automatic transmission; replacing the manual gearbox across the D-Max and MU-X lineups.
Isuzu D-Max & MU-X Gain New Diesel Engine
Posted September 26, 2025
By: Cale Nuttall
Isuzu has updated its D-Max and MU-X powertrain lineup; replacing the 1.9-litre unit with a more powerful 2.2-litre. But will it come to South Africa?
Isuzu has handed the D-Max and MU-X an update – though no changes have been made to the exterior or interior; instead revisions lie beneath the bonnet. Indeed, replacing the 1.9-litre turbocharged oil-burner, the Japanese automaker’s popular bakkie and its seven-seater SUV sibling has received a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel mill, which joins the 3.0-litre unit in the range.
The new 2.2-litre engine produces 120 kW and 400 N.m – the full complement of the latter available from 1 600 r/min. Compared to the outgoing, 1.9-litre oil-burner, the new powerplant delivers an additional 10 kW and 50 N.m of torque. The 2.2-litre engine is exclusively coupled with a new Aisin eight-speed automatic transmission; replacing the manual gearbox across the D-Max and MU-X lineups.
Isuzu claims a 6.6 L/100km average fuel consumption for the 4×4 D-Max SX double-cab bakkie – thus offering improved fuel efficiency compared to the 6.9 L/100km of the equivalent variant powered by the 1.9-litre engine. The 2.2-litre MU-X LS-U 4×4 has a claimed average fuel consumption of 6.7 L/100 km, an improvement of 0.7 L/100 km over the 1.9-litre model’s 7.4 L/100 km.
Along with boosts in power and torque, braked towing capacity has been improved, too, from 3 000 to 3 500 kg, over the 1.9-litre models.
Standard equipment across the D-Max and MU-X range remains unchanged, except for the addition of start-stop functionality, which has also been adopted by the 3.0-litre models.
Will the new engine be available in SA?
While the updated Isuzu D-Max and MU-X are already available in Australia, Isuzu Motors South Africa has told CAR Magazine that we won’t receive the new powertrain in the foreseeable future.
