| Isuzu UTE’s D-MAX diesel ute has towed a trailered five-plus metre fibreglass power boat weighing over 1000kg nearly 1000km from the outback to the ocean and onto the city without refuelling. Eco-futurist and tree farmer Hans Tholstrup drove a top spec D-MAX LS 4x2 manual five-seat, four-door crew ute 967km from south-west Queensland’s Cunnamulla to Coolangatta then up to Cannon Hill in inner suburban Brisbane on its standard tank of diesel. Along much of the route except for the last 100km up to Brisbane, Tholstrup battled 25-to-35km/h head and nose winds as the weather wound up to dump the major February floods on central Queensland. The D-MAX’s calculated average fuel use was 7.85 litres/100km based on its nominal fuel tank volume of 76 litres. This is less than the most frugal D-MAX model’s best ADR 81/02 figure of 7.9 l/100km ¯which excludes any towing, and likewise much less than the no-tow 8.4l/100km ADR figure for the heavier LS manual. Fuellings at the start and finish of the Run were supervised and verified by RACQ representatives. Tholstrup had previously stretched an unhitched D-MAX SX 4x2 crew ute 1,716.3 kilometres on a single tank driving from far north Queensland’s gulf country down south past Innamincka in South Australia. That drive — which included 175 km of harsh outback gravel—returned an average consumption of 4.428 litres/100km—the economy of an electric-petrol hybrid or a small diesel car. This tow test was designed as a more real world economy test and has again proved Isuzu’s claim that D-MAX is the ‘frugal freighter’ of the one-tonne conventional-cab ute class, whilst still packing the punch to tow or tote a load with ease and comfort. Note: In these runs, Tholstrup, an expert in economy driving, drove for maximum economy at mostly less than posted speeds over mostly low-traffic roads. At all times during the Run, the full size alloy spare wheel was carried and the door mirrors were in their normal position. |
|
Towing a tonne on a tank
Road Report
Friday, 30 March 2012
File Download:
Related Articles
Thursday, 06 March 2025
The new Prado is part of a growing shift in 4WD SUV design toward tough, practical square- edged design. This is the first new Prado in 15 years, and the SUV market has moved ahead in the time it...
Tuesday, 04 February 2025
The Kia EV5 combines sustainability, practicality, and advanced technology, making it a standout addition to any corporate fleet. Positioned as a mid-size electric SUV, it aligns well with the...
Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Since its introduction in 1972, the Honda Civic has been a stalwart of the Honda line-up, cementing itself in near-iconic status on a global scale. Now the 11th generation has received an extensive...
