The all-new Isuzu D-Max was named Best-in-Class Pickup Truck in C! Magazine’s 17th Annual C! Awards. The winner was officially announced by the magazine in November via press release. C! Magazine is the country’s oldest premium automotive magazine. Their annual C! Awards is among the most respected in the industry, having established its reputation on its strict, comprehensive reviews and actual tests. The jury is composed of the magazine’s editorial staff who are required to experience driving all the vehicles being judged before casting their vote. “We’re very strict. Even if you’re part of the team, if you don’t have experience, in that particular genre, you can’t vote,” said Kevin Limjoco, President / Founding Editor / Editorial Director of C! Magazine.
Judging entails exhaustive deliberation, considering every aspect and feature of each vehicle such as overall dynamic performance, instrumented performance testing, aesthetics/design, packaging/standard equipment, comforts/luxuries, safety, efficiency, audio/infotainment quality, length of factory warranties, extent of supported aftersales maintenance, pride-of-ownership, value-for-money, resale values and more.
Hailed the runaway winner, the all-new Isuzu D-Max stands out with its network of safety features that operate automatically and independently. Its new Advanced Driver Assist System or ADAS comes with a first in its class Smart Duo Cam, which constantly maps the surrounding area to measure the distance to every obstacle on the road. Since it uses a dual camera set-up, it can detect 3D objects just like how human eyes recognize depth of field.
Because of this, the D-Max now has multiple active safety features like pre-crash safety, speed assist, lane support and headlamp control. ADAS also offers an eight-eye Parking Aid with reverse camera, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.
With these remarkable improvements, the all-new D-Max received a perfect five-star rating from an international testing body, the ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
“You know that it has the Isuzu reliability, you know that it has the strength, all the users are looking for. The D-Max on road is quicker. If you look carefully at the acceleration run and speed, on road performance of the D-Max, is actually superior. Its quicker, it handles better. When you put all the reasons together, it was a slam-dunk for the D-Max,” said Kevin Limjoco, who is also the head juror.
“Thank you to C! Magazine and to all the judges. IPC is honored to receive this award and we share this honor with our dealers and with our valued customers,” said Isuzu Philippines Corporation President, Hajime Koso in an official statement. “We stay true to our commitment, “Your responsible partner.” That is why at IPC we strive to be the vital engine for Philippine society on the road to progress and towards a sustainable automotive chain.”