This Unlikely Isuzu Restomod Is a Diesel Pickup That Goes Incredibly Hard

Between you and me, I don’t really care about restomods. They’re usually over-the-top cash grabs that previously unheard-of shops build to take advantage of Boomer nostalgia. But this? Oh, buddy. This is sweet. It’s the Isuzu Dragon Max, and as you can see, it’s a hotted-up version of the truck our nation’s landscaping industry was built on: The third-gen Isuzu Pickup.

Isuzu debuted it at this week’s Bangkok International Motor Show with essentially the same design as before, just modernized. And when I say “modernized,” I mean with LED headlights, a lower stance rocking aggressive tire fitment, and what looks like some slick body molding. The inside is done up really nicely, too; I bet you won’t find another one of these with carbon fiber trim, Recaro seats wrapped in Alcantara, a digital dash, and a 10.2-inch center screen running an Android operating system.

More importantly than all that, the truck is powered by a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine that makes 220 horsepower and a skosh more than 400 lb-ft of torque. Imagine what that’s like in a tiny two-wheel drive single cab! An eight-speed automatic promises quick shifts, and although you can’t technically row your own gears with it, you can still slap the stick forward and backward when you’re hustling around a corner. I’m cool with it, personally.

There’s a lot to like about an unassuming truck getting a glow-up. It’s especially sick that Isuzu itself built the thing for everyone at an international auto show to see. Isuzu isn’t a manufacturer that everyone in the States associates with performance or cool factor, but that’s because we’re culturally impoverished when it comes to the global car scene. (OK, mini truck guys understand, but that’s pretty much it.) Isuzu remains a fan favorite for tons of people abroad, especially off-roaders who live and die by the DMax pickup. The Dragon Max concept uses that truck’s same RZ4F engine so I have every reason to believe it’s a winner.

You might see something more statistically impressive or extreme than this at SEMA, and that’s OK. Let the rest of the world chase headlines with garish and unusable builds. I’ll ride with Isuzu, the truck brand that knows how to party whether you’re on the way to your favorite b-road or the mulch depot.

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