June 11 -- If the Isuzu i-370 crew cab pick-up looks more to you like an American truck than a Japanese truck, you have a good eye. The badge may say Isuzu, but the vehicle is GM in body and soul. Billed as a Japanese crew cab compact pick-up built in America, and assembled in Shreveport, Louisiana, the i-370 is part of a joint venture between General Motors and Isuzu to produce small pick-ups.
When the agreement began, Isuzu’s plan was to produce the D-Max pick-up, and sell it in Thailand. The D-Max was essentially the same truck as GM’s Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Because of this sharing of technology and design, the 2007 Isuzu i-370 Crew Cab bears a very close resemblance to the Colorado and Canyon.
The name i-370 is a giveaway on the powerplant, with “370” representing the truck’s 3.7-liter inline 5-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission and change-on-the-fly 4-wheel-drive. EPA rated at 16mpg in city driving and 22mpg on the highway, the 242hp set-up also yields 242 ft.-lbs. of torque. During my weeklong examination throughout the Central Pennsylvania region, I averaged about 20.2mpg, driving about 75 percent on the highway, 20 percent in town and 5 percent off-road and on the track. Acceleration from a stop was sluggish, but the European (high-end) torque curve gave decent, though not exceptional response when I asked for it at high speed and in passing gear.
With the appropriate equipment, the i-370 can tow up to 4,000 pounds, but when loaded, the engine does struggle to handle the cargo and accelerate to catch up to the traffic flow.
My tests revealed that the truck is comfortable for drivers and passengers and sightlines are clean. There was quite a bit of road noise and I noticed the truck experienced a bit of body shake and yaw. Center of gravity appeared to be high with the bed empty, but with a load of bricks and garden supplies the truck performed with more confidence and road-hugging glide.
The i-370’s Insta-Trac four-wheel drive, allows shift-on-the-fly from 2WD and 4WD High at the touch of a button, but I noticed that when in 4-wheel, the slightest wheel turn or upgrade sent the car into a very high 4-wheel mode that one would expect off-road and not on the highway.
Performance accouterments include a tight off-road suspension that did react admirably to the critter trail obstacles I pitted the 370 against. Also standard are independent front suspension with torsion bars, semi-floating rear with axle leaf springs and heavy-duty battery with run-down protection.
My test vehicle had a Platinum Silver Metallic exterior that was complimented by an Ebony interior. Intended to be an upscale addition to the i-series, the 370’s interior was uninspired, but does feature a standard CD/MP3 player, tilt steering wheel and cruise control. The cabin and crew row seat five comfortably, and the front row also contains such standard items as a 6-speaker AM/FM stereo, with seek-and-scan, digital clock, auto-tone control, speed-compensated volume. You also get air conditioning, front and rear cup holders, leather-wrapped steering wheel, day/night rearview mirror, carpeted floor covering, dome and cargo bed area lamps and front and rear rubberized floor mats.
The LS package, which is a no-charge option, adds power windows and door locks, folding power outside mirrors, remote keyless entry, content theft-deterrent alarm, front bucket seats with upgraded seat fabric and center console and body side molding.
Safety is attended to with standard driver and front passenger air bags, head curtain side impact air bags, passenger sensing system, tire pressure monitoring system, 4-wheel ABS with front discs and rear drum brakes, theft-deterrent immobilizer system, auto on-off headlamp with daytime running lamps, variable intermittent wiper/washer and a 7-year/75,000-mile roadside assistance plan.
The GM-inspired exterior carries The General’s lines, but the Isuzu grille makes a bold statement with three wide bars: one horizontal and two vertical. The i-370as is also decked out with large body-colored fender flares, front and rear chrome bumpers, pick-up box with eight cargo tie-downs and locking two-position tailgate, 5-spoke 15x7-inch aluminum wheels, General Ameritrac TR P265/75R15 tires, a full-size spare and deep-tinted rear windows.
The bottom line is a dichotomy of give and take. My Isuzu i-370 test truck was priced at $28,043. The only add-on to the base price of $27,358 was a $685 destination and handling charge. For a compact pick-up of its nature, this is a very fair price. However, it was about $3500 higher than a similarly equipped Chevrolet Colorado, and a GMC Canyon of the same ilk was also about $3500 less. I find the pricing quizzical. It could be that GM has aggressively priced its Chevy and GMC vehicles to sell in volume in the market and might be underpriced. The Isuzu, while priced fairly, defies current marketing approaches of sought-after badges or extra power and features as the rationale for higher prices.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
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