nokia

My new baby. Took 3 days to arrange delivery.

Bangkok's always the best place to get these Vigos/Fortuners etc. In the sticks they'll have you wanitng forever.

However if you place a deposit on a car and they can't deliver within a certain then you will definately get it back.

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That's a cool macho baby, and 3 days is a record time!

Are the front bar & roof-rack standard items or freebies from agent?

Getting early delivery is easy. Don't make the same mistake that I initially made though. I ordered my 2door, silver 4x4 Vigo on the "promise" of delivery within 2 weeks. When it didn't arrive by the 14th day, I downloaded a list of Toyota Dealers from the Internet. By the 4th phone call I had sourced 3 vehicles, and within 3 hours had ordered exactly what I wanted and took delivery the following day.

However, the greatest pleasure was driving my new 4x4 to the original dealer that had promised 2 week delivery to get my deposit back!

So, to get immediate delivery, simply buy from a dealer that has what you want in stock.

Despite all the hype and stories of waiting lists, there are plenty of Vigos around for sale.

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Hi Riley & Vigo folks, i had ordered a black 4X4 Vigo at Toyota Chiang Mai in July. I was quoted 5 months waiting, no freebies or insurance, only a 5k discount and i'm still waiting. Perhaps I could order from another dealer, like Chiang Rai? Will the 5k deposit be refunded back or will it be forfeited? Thanks!

Suzuki Carribbean is supposed to be unstable at high speeds around corners. For a 1.3l, it's quite thirsty for gasoline, and when you push the sides of the jeep, the whole vehicle shakes. i used to rent it, but Thai friends all said "Mai Dee". An underpowered, bouncy 'fun' lite 4WD vehicle for tourists?

thanks sinkorswim for the info, where is Bangkok Insurance located at CM? Perhaps i could cancel the insurance since the vehicle hasnt arrived yet....

Hi CM folks,

i had ordered a Toyota Vigo 4WD G manual at the showroom near Airport PLaza in Jul 05, and i'm still waiting for its collection. No freebies was given because it was supposed to very popular and given a pathetic discount of 5K from the sale price of 820K and had to pay another 30K for the insurance and road tax. I heard that those who ordered before June had free insurance! SIgh....

hi CM folks,

You can get hourly updates on the crest at http://www.hydro-1.net/

Click on the 2nd option on the left column.

Another media test drive of 23.6km/litre by isuzu. Is it possible to achieve it by driving at crawling speeds (40-60km/h) on highways or is it just a marketing gimmick? In view of rising oil prices, has anyone ever achieve 20km/litre in any type of pickup?

Cheers!

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TEST DRIVE: D-MAXimised performance

Thanks to the new commonrail engine, tearing around the test track in an automatic version of Isuzu’s latest pickup model proved to be a revelation

After testing the Isuzu D-MAX 3000 Ddi Super Commonrail automatic on four different courses at the Isuzu Hokkaido test ground, I had to abandon my presumption that pickups with automatic shifts were considerably less alluring than passenger cars.

In fact, by the time the test drive was over, I came to feel that were I to purchase a new vehicle, the automatic Isuzu D-MAX would certainly be one of the likely candidates. Not only did the pickup perform outstandingly in all the test drives but in so doing it proved itself to have excellent fuel economy, making this four-wheeler extremely attractive in these times of skyrocketing oil prices.

At the high-speed oval circuit, journalists were allowed to test the acceleration of the new D-MAX, which has a common-rail direct injection engine for the first time. Although initial acceleration was somewhat sluggish I found, the car did start to pick up good speed past the 60kph mark on the speedometer.

In our group of test drivers, the fastest speed clocked at the oval circuit was a decent 185 kph for the four-speed automatic and 175kph for the five-speed manual version of the car. Isuzu engineers explained that the manual model has been designed to offer minimum fuel consumption whereas the automatic model has been designed for better acceleration. (In normal circumstances, the top speed of the automatic version would be slightly slower than its manual sibling’s.)

Isuzu says the new engine can produce 143 horsepower at 3,000rpm and 294Nm of torque from 1,400 to 3,400rpm, an increase of 26 horsepower over the old direct-injection engine.

Although the new Isuzu engine purrs with less engine power than its arch rival, the Toyota Vigo – which, with its 3,000cc engine, packs a respectable 163 horsepower – the car manufacturer explained that 143 horsepower is ample for the everyday needs of most drivers and that, not insignificantly, less engine power means less fuel consumption.

According to fuel-consumption tests conducted by the Faculty of Engineering at the King Mongkut Institute of Technology on its Lat Krabang campus, the new D-MAX boasts a fuel economy of 23.6 kilometres per litre compared to 20.5 km/litre for its predecessor. The test was carried out with vehicles cruising at a steady 60kph with all electrical appliances switched off.

The fuel injection system of the new D-MAX produces an internal pressure of 180 MPa (Mega Pascals), which Isuzu claims is currently the highest in the world, in contrast to 135 MPa and 160 MPa for the first- and second-generation common-rail engines offered by other manufacturers.

The new Isuzu also features a “just-on-demand” fuel distribution system which its manufacturer asserts is the most advanced in the market, helping further reduce fuel consumption.

In addition to its quick acceleration and excellent fuel economy, the new Isuzu engine has the added bonus of being less noisy than its predecessors. In the past, Isuzu diesel engines were widely considered among the noisiest in the pickup market.

Meanwhile, the “Flex-Plus” suspensions well absorb the rattles and jerks of potholed asphalt and dirt tracks. The car’s ABS brakes, too, worked wonders during tests. In a test situation featuring low-friction surface with water sprinklers simulating rain, the ABS system helped minimise wheel lock-up and maintain traction during emergency braking.

Shifting into four-wheel-drive mode, which is done via pressing a button on the centre console, improved traction on slippery conditions dramatically.

Standard models of the new Isuzu D-Max Super Commonrail (with the exception of a single-cab type) come complete with ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) systems. Dual SRS airbags are available exclusively in the Space Cab SLX, Cab-4 SLX and SL, 4-door Hi-Lander automatic and Rodeo LS models.

An additional test course featured winding tracks with road conditions you’d generally find in such countries as Belgium; the D-MAX performed impressively, offering good control throughout the route.

And of course, let’s not forget the off-road drive. I steered my four-wheel double cab with automatic transmission up steep slopes and down in relaxed comfort as the engine offered an immediate torque response at low revs. Its brake system down steep slopes proved first-rate too.

The new Isuzu has been totally redesigned with the inclusion of new parts and components, yet its resilience (one of the make’s strongest selling points in previous models) remains excellent in the new model as well. Isuzu says the new engine is 1.7 times stronger and more durable than its predecessor.

Arch rival Toyota has been posing a formidable challenge this year with the introduction of the new Vigo, but Isuzu has proved that it won’t relinquish its exalted status as the pickup champion for the past 21 consecutive years. It’ll reign supreme at least until the end of the year, when new models of the Toyota Vigo and the Isuzu D-MAX Commonrail will be going head to head in the market.

Oranan Paweewun

The Nation

Hi people,

What is the actual fuel consumption for a 3.0 4WD 4*4 Vigo?

Official figures from the toyota dealer is 21 km/litre based on a media road test but figures from other sources varies from 10-14 km/l depending on speed (60-120 km/h) conditions. City driving is estimated to be 9-10 km/litre.

Does 163hp draws more diesel than it's rivals? Feel free to air your views.

Cheers!

Well, how about going for frequent eating binges at the many Thai buffets in open air restaurants and hotels? Weight loss occurs when calories intake is less than calories expended... Load up the calories!

Cheers!