Isuzu and GM part ways, new Chevy Colorado pickup to go upmarket



Following the announcement of a collaboration between Mazda and Isuzu in producing a new generation of pickups, Isuzu and General Motors (GM) have agreed to end its pickup tie-up for the Asian market.

A statement made by GM says both companies have different ideas and requirements for their next-generation midsize pickup truck, so it’s no longer feasible to work together. GM also doesn’t want to compete with the same category of pickups with its Japanese rivals in the Southeast Asia region, thus revamping its approach by offering a new line of premium pickups.

This means GM, via Chevrolet, could introduce the next-generation Colorado pickups with its own design and approach. At the same time, Isuzu is adamant on retaining its D-Max pickups as a workhorse rather than becoming a pickup with the blings. That effectively ends the duo’s collaborative ties that has been in existence the mid 2000s.

On that note, the current Isuzu D-Max (with the latest Beast variant) will be the final model with American input. We are looking forward to future D-Max models which could inherit Mazda’s Clean Diesel SkyActiv-D powertrains (nothing concrete as of yet, though), providing better workhorses with efficient mileage. At the same time, will the next generation, more premium Colorado work in this part of the world?