MALAYSIAN MOTOR TRADER NEWS - FEATURE - Isuzu D-Max 4x4 Adventure Sabah 2005

FEATURE

Isuzu D-Max 4x4 Adventure Sabah 2005
October 05, 2005. 9:45 PM Author: Alex Goh

Flag-off time at KMA in Kota Kinabalu

Proper off-road tyres were fitted for the extreme conditions

I left for the Isuzu D-Max 4x4 Adventure Sabah 2005 five-day media drive with the assumption that that this would be a ‘watered-down’ experience, made to adapt to the ‘civilised’ Isuzu D-Max pick-up, and thus perfectly suited to the 4x4 off-road ‘virgin’ that I was. A full two days later (yes, barely half-way through the event), it was rather different…

Upon arrival I got acquainted with my fellow media peers (of which there was 17 of us) and the D-Max that would be our main mode of transportation as we headed east from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, making stops at Keningau and Kundasang along the way, in a 13-vehicle convoy.

After resting the first night in KK, Day two marked the beginning of our 4x4 adventure with a flag-off from the Kinabalu Motor Assembly (KMA) headquarters (Isuzu’s assembler and distributor in East Malaysia) – by Kyoya Kondo, CEO of Isuzu Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Our destination: Keningau, 120 kms away.

My first day at this kid of driving was certainly an eye-opening, head-thumping, body-shaking experience that I enjoyed from the relatively spacious back seat area of the D-Max. Besides the staple of gravel and red clay tracks, both straight and twisted, we also came to roads battered by logging activities. The crossing of the Papar River ensued - a 200 metre cross over a river about a metre deep. The variety of terrain we went through had often required utilising the convenient ‘one-touch on-the-fly’ feature to get from 2-wheel drive to 4-wheel drive mode. Unlike most other pick-ups, the D-Max has pushbutton operation instead of a lever to get to 4x4.

The off-road experience ended on a high note, literally, as we made our way up to the Crocker Range Park Station, taking in the surroundings from 4000 metres above sea level, before returning to the tarmac en route to Keningau.

After observing and learning about the basics of off-road driving from the day before (it was really more about me summoning enough courage), I took to the wheel on the second day as we headed for Kundasang. We made our first stop for a short lesson on Malaysian history at the Mat Salleh Memorial in Ranau (yes, there was actually a ‘Mat Salleh’!). For the uninitiated, Mat Salleh was a Sabahan who led a 6-year rebellion against the then ruling British North Borneo Chartered Company.

‘Intellectually enriched’, we then made our way to S.K. Tongou, a school located within a mountainous area, for some philanthropic work. The D-Max came in handy here as we made our climb up to the school; the D-Max enabling us to reach the less fortunate in an area that is under the radar of corporate PR and beyond the geographical reach of many. Members of the convoy (read: urbanised and unfit) even raced the kids during a friendly 4x100 relay for a cash prize (raised among convoy members) of RM85.40; a race that the Isuzu team rightfully (and predictably) lost.


Muddy and rough tracks presented a challenge trying to keep going in the right direction!	Crossing a metre-deep river was no problem for the D-Max

Shortly before we took to our off-road trail, it drizzled ever so slightly, but it was enough to create chaos on an already challenging stretch – us drivers having to constantly work the steering wheel to keep to the course as the vehicles slithered along the slippery track. Even for a novice like me, with a little guidance from my co-driver, the D-Max was easy to handle and we got through many of the obstacles with nothing more than an accelerated heartbeat and a good shake-up – from crossing streams to going over log bridges and mud trails.

The body grew weary after having been on the road for more than four hours, but a ‘therapeutic massage’ along a stretch of red clay road paved with logs, lined up horizontally, provided us with just what we needed and woke me up to what was soon to follow: a steep 30-degree uphill climb, made more difficult by the rain, and broken as a result of the three 2750-kg D-Maxes that rumbled on ahead of us. As each of the three pick-ups made its way up the hill, the sight of the vehicle being tossed about like a ball in a pinball machine was enough for me to register the notion that I didn’t intend to utilise the insurance coverage Isuzu Malaysia had so kindly purchased for the media.

Getting across log bridges was interesting for many

Support crews were around to recover vehicles having problems

To cut the story short, I remained at the wheel with the full (but fearful) support of my co-driver and passengers as we took on the hill. We made good progress (amid the chanting of ‘three-litre power, three-litre power’ by my co-driver!) as we roared up the steep slope but as we reached the top, the front end slid into a rut on the right, putting the vehicle off-course. As I grappled with the steering and full-locked it to the right in an attempt to return it to its course, I delivered too much power, twisting the front tyre off its rim! Vehicle recovery procedures were then initiated, the vehicle being winched to the top to enable a tyre change. Subsequently, another unit suffered a puncture but the remaining journey was smooth sailing from then on.

The following day’s journey, a 240-km drive from Kundasang to Sandakan did not involve any off-road trails. We kept to the main roads and played tourist for the day, heading for two popular tourist spots – the Poring Hot Springs, well-known for its hot sulphur pools that many claim to possess skin-curative properties, and the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, the biggest sanctuary of its kind among only four in the world.

The ability of the D-Max to take on the deep ruts that we got into, long gravel roads and the occasional knocks with nothing more than a busted tyre, amazed and convinced me about the robustness of the vehicle, especially the drivetrain and suspension (I was informed that the only adjustments made for this trip was an increase in ride height, for higher ground clearance, and the fitting of off-road tyres). Anyhow, the route we took would still seem like a walk in the park for a vehicle that has successfully completed the gruelling Barcelona – Dakar Rally 2005.

But the impression that strikes me most is that the D-Max, though having a more stylish body, still lacks the aggressive lines that will do justice to its actual capabilities. Nevertheless, with a strong 4x4 heritage behind the Isuzu badge, the recent 40% decrease in road tax for private diesel vehicles, it should be able to win a following, especially now that the roadtax has been lowered (in West Malaysia)

The Isuzu group with children from SK Tongou