ISUZU'S MUCH-LOVED KB RETURNS AS THE DRAGON MAX RESTOMOD CONCEPT - AND THE WORLD NEEDS IT!
The Isuzu KB is a much-loved bakkie worldwide, but here in South African it has amassed a cult-like following over the years. The Isuzu KB has a storied history in South Africa, symbolizing durability and reliability. Locally, the first Isuzu-branded bakkie was produced in 1979 at the Kempston Road plant in Port Elizabeth, marking the beginning of a legacy that continues to this day. Over the decades, the KB underwent several transformations, each enhancing its appeal and performance to meet the evolving demands of South African drivers and offering a reliable left-field option to the usual bakkie choices like the Hilux and Ranger. In 2018, Isuzu aligned its global naming conventions by rebranding the KB as the D-MAX in South Africa. This change coincided with updates in styling and features, ensuring that the bakkie remained a strong contender in the market, and the spin-off M-UX SUV with the same styling has become equally popular. The old-school KB is a true workhorse, and over the years we’ve seen some pretty cool modified versions of them, the most impressive being the one called Turd with a monstrous twin-turbocharged and nitrous-fed V8 replacing the reliable diesel lump. The bakkie’s popularity is nothing like it is in Thailand, where diesel-powered cars and bakkies of all kinds are more popular than petrol guzzlers. That’s exactly where Isuzu has just revealed an all-new bakkie that’s got all the best modern tech from the brand, but it’s all wrapped up in a new body that’s 99 % inspired by the original KB from the late ‘80s. While new versions of the bakkie run under the D-Max name, this concept expands on it a bit.
Isuzu recently unveiled the Dragon Max, a restomod concept that breathes new life into the iconic late '80s KB bakkie. This one-off creation seamlessly blends vintage design with modern performance and luxury, offering a nostalgic yet contemporary driving experience. In other words - it’s absolutely freaking fantastic! The Dragon Max retains the original KB's extended-cab (Space Cab) bodyshell but introduces several modern touches to give it that new flavour while keeping to the original old-school script. The original KB is a square and boxy thing, and that typically '80s design remains. Changes to the visuals include some new, sleek LED headlights and taillights with a smoked finish, a subtly illuminated grille, matte paintwork, a rear spoiler, and black 17-inch wheels. As you’d expect, the chaps in charge have it a decently-lowered lowered suspension setup because even for factory restomods, stance is life. The cabin features Alcantara-trimmed surfaces, carbon accents, and leather seat inserts, elevating the premium feel while preserving the classic layout. Under the hood lies Isuzu's contemporary 2.2-litre MaxForce turbodiesel engine, tuned to deliver 162 kW and 550 Nm of torque - more than double that of the original old-school KB's output. This power is managed by a modern eight-speed automatic transmission, sending power to the rear wheels. The only downside to this is that it’s only a concept, but the way the interwebz is blowing up with pics of the Dragon Max being seen on every motoring-related platform out there, this is one concept that could possibly see the light of day. It may even come out with the same turbodiesel powerplant you see here because Isuzu hasn’t really jumped on the electrification bandwagon as hard as other automakers just yet.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the crew at AUTO WORLD, who were lucky enough to see this awesome restomod in person at the recent Bangkok Motor Show. This is one restomod concept that is guaranteed to sell if it makes it to production because the OG KB is a super popular and much-loved model in the world of bakkies: New Isuzu DRAGON MAX Concept | Cool Truck Design | AUTO WORLD
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