End of the 3.0? Isuzu details new 2.2-litre bi-turbodiesel engine

For the moment, both the single and bi-turbo 2.2 have not been approved for South Africa. Hinted at last year, Isuzu has officially introduced its new 2.2-litre bi-turbodiesel engine in both the D-Max and MU-X, although for now, only in Thailand. Max MaxForce The long-rumoured eventual replacement for the venerable 3.0-litre that has been constantly updated since its first iteration debuted in 2002, the twin-blown 2.2 joins the existing single-turbo as the third member of the internally named RZ4F family. Revealed this past Saturday, 24 October, the bi-turbo builds on its sibling by not only receiving a second blower, but also a new injection system, pistons, stronger cylinder sleeves, and an uprated cooling system. New 2.2-litre MaxForce bi-turbodiesel engine is expected to eventually replace the venerable 3.0-litre oil-burner. Picture: Isuzu Thailand According to Isuzu, efficiency has been improved upon by eight percent over the current 4JJ3-TCX version of the 3.0-litre, while the 0-100 km/h sprint is now five percent faster. At the same time, the overtaking acceleration speed of 80-100 km/h is also said to be more responsive by a claimed 12%. More power and torque Rated at 162kW/550Nm at its unveiling at the Bangkok International Motor Show last year in a modernised 1988 TFR Spacecab called the Dragon Max concept, the production engine’s outputs have been lowered to 150kW/500Nm. This represents an uptake of 30kW/100Nm on the single-turbo 2.2 and 10kW/50Nm on the 3.0-litre 4JJ3-TCX. As with the former, an eight-speed automatic is again the only transmission option. For export market? The second major update to the D-Max and MU-X in less than 18 months, the bi-turbo’s rollout is expected to eventually replace the 3.0-litre in export market similar to what the single-turbo has done as the 1.9-litre RZ4E-TC in Thailand. Introduced in facelift guise in June, the locally assembled D-Max retains both the 1.9 and 3.0-litre units due to the 2.2’s inability to run on South Africa’s below par diesel. “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,” Isuzu South Africa Executive Vice-President for Manufacturing and Product Engineering, Dominic Rimmer, said back in February. The same also applies to the South African-spec MU-X which, despite being assembled in Thailand, makes do with the same 1.9 and 3.0-litre options as the D-Max. Compared to Australia, where the single-turbo made its debut earlier this year in the D-Max and MU-X, for the time being, both it and the bi-turbo are off limits for South Africa until an official confirmation announcement is made.