With Isuzu celebrating 45 years of bakkie production in South Africa, it just made sense to take the latest limited-edition D-Max 45 to Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal to meet its KB20 forebear, one of the first bakkies assembled locally 45 years ago, and still in daily use today.
It was a sapphire blue day in KwaZulu-Natal when we set off from Durban in the latest Isuzu D-Max derivative towards Port Shepstone on the Natal South Coast. The clear, cloudless blue sky was appropriate, as our mission was to celebrate 45 years of Isuzu bakkie production… and apparently, the colour for the 45th anniversary is, yes, you guessed it, sapphire blue.
The limited-edition D-Max 45 pays tribute to Isuzu’s proud legacy of manufacturing its bakkie range in South Africa, which commenced with the first Isuzu KB coming off the production line in Gqeberha, then known as Port Elizabeth, in 1979. Interestingly, this was preceded by the assembly of the Chev LUV in Kempston Road from 1972, and then the facelifted LUV – introduced as the Isuzu KB20 – imported from 1978.
At the time, Isuzu was still part of General Motors (GM). As such, the original KB model has an interesting history, as it was at first badged “Faster”, and initially was sold under different brand names (Chevrolet in South Africa and North America, Bedford in the United Kingdom, and Holden in Australia) in other parts of the world.
Soon after local production of the KB20 started, it became the first pickup to feature rack-and-pinion steering and independent front suspension; in the same year (1981), the second-generation B25 LWB and KB41 models were launched.
The third-generation KB debuted in 1989 under the Delta Motor Corporation banner, which had taken over the Isuzu brand from GM. With over 80 000 units sold by then, the range was expanded to include the KB160 Base and Fleetside, the KB230 and KB250D in short-wheelbase, long-wheelbase and upmarket LE specification, plus four-wheel drive versions.
In 1993, the KB Turbo Blazer version was launched. Developed locally, it was the first turbocharged petrol-engined bakkie offered by a manufacturer in South Africa. This was followed by the first double cab in this segment when the four-door version of the KB260 LE 4×4 and KB280DT were introduced.
With the launch of the fourth-generation KB in 1997, the range became the top-selling one-ton bakkie in the country for two consecutive years. General Motors then returned to South Africa and invested R500 million into tooling and facilities for the launch of the fifth-generation KB in 2004.
During this time, Isuzu also set a new world record with the KB during the 72-Hour Endurance Challenge at Gerotek. The sixth-generation model, now called D-Max overseas, was launched in 2013, and with over 600,000 bakkies built locally, it was the first model to be produced in both left and right-hand drive for export markets in Africa.
In January 2018, Isuzu Motors South Africa (IMSA) was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited – the first outside of Japan – and the KB designation was dropped in favour of D-Max to align with Isuzu’s global naming conventions.
Isuzu also announced a R1.2-billion investment in South Africa to build the seventh-generation D-MAX. Production of this range commenced in 2022, but Isuzu continued production of selected GEN 6 models, offering a more affordable alternative in the highly competitive bakkie segment.
LIMITED EDITION
With this esteemed legacy in mind, the D-Max 45 is available with an exclusive range of accessories and features, adding further lustre to one of the most revered nameplates in the bakkie segment.
It is based on the 3.0 Ddi Double Cab LSE 4×4 Automatic, but stands out thanks to a gloss black front grille with contrasting lower fog lamp facia accent garnish, 18″ gloss black alloy wheels with distinctive silver ring centre caps, and a classy yet practical black Rhinoman X-pedition canopy.
The tailgate continues the theme with a black Isuzu decal, but the homage status of our attractive Desert Orange unit is, in our view, too understated, with only a special 45-year commemorative badge on the rear tailgate signalling the model’s exclusive stature.
The trip down the N2 towards Port Shepstone was comfortable, thanks to partial leather trim for the cabin seats, durable Bundu Basher rubber floor mats, wireless charging for a smartphone and the nine” touchscreen multimedia system with integrated wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The 3.0-litre Ddi intercooled turbodiesel engine, delivering 140 kW and 450 Nm of torque, combined with a six-speed auto transmission and a part-time four-wheel-drive system with differential lock, made our journey pleasantly relaxed.
Meeting the archetype
We met Mr Samsunder Singh, owner of the archetype KB, at the Port Shepstone lighthouse. Admiring his pristinely preserved example, crowned in 2012 as the oldest working Isuzu in the country, it was difficult to believe this KB20 is 45 years old, as it still is in perfect working order and used virtually every day.
He bought the KB20 diesel almost new in 1979, and still owns it today. As the former owner of Shepstone Battery Works, now retired, Mr Singh initially used the bakkie to mainly transport batteries daily. After he sold the business, he decided to hold on to it, and now, as caretaker of the Shree Raam Narayan Mandir temple in town, he uses it as a runabout for everyday tasks.
Standing parked next to each other, the new seventh-generation D-Max 45 dwarfs the original KB and in terms of appointments and level of engineering, there is no comparison. The new D-Max has a host of active safety features, while the old KB20 does not even have airbags, and its 1,951 cc indirect injection diesel engine only develops 44 kW and 121 Nm of torque.
Even so, it starts every time (after waiting for the glow plug to warm up) and runs like a train. “I have always had it regularly serviced every 5,000 km, and I have had no problems whatsoever with it,” said Mr Singh. “It has done over 700,000 km so far and has become a part of the family.”
The bakkie still has its original tags and local GM production plate, indicating it was assembled in 1979. Back then, the launch price for the diesel KB20 was R4,295 (the D-Max 45 3.0 Ddi Double Cab 4×4 AT will now set you back R906,100). “I have been very lucky with this KB bakkie,” Mr Singh added. “It is like a samurai warrior. I feel like it will last me forever…”
In this sense, his archetype Isuzu bakkie epitomises the resilience and reliability inherent to the D-Max. It remains a firm favourite for bakkie owners – revered for its outstanding fuel economy, low running costs and proven durability. We look forward to visiting Mr Singh and his original KB to celebrate 50 years of local Isuzu bakkie production.
Report by FERDI DE VOS | Images © RYAN ABBOTT
