Thailand: The Kingdom of Pickups

Bogotá and Bangkok are separated by some 18,000 km, the crossing of which, over the Atlantic and the vast expanse of Southeast Asia, takes well over 24 hours of actual navigation time to touch down in the United Arab Emirates to refresh the plane and fill its tanks.

But, in reality, Colombia and Thailand are tied for a large commercial activity of products that reach us from there: fabrics, clothing and many other pieces of all kinds in which this country is very strong in this area , with an economy that is ranked second regionally, behind Indonesia and above Malaysia.

Much of the merchandise we receive from here can be identified by the ' Made in Thailand ' labels, but not everyone thinks to check that the pickup truck they're buying bears the same seal of approval as the Thai automotive industry, which supplies trucks and light commercial vehicles to much of the world.

Colombia is one of the diverse destinations for pickup trucks shipped from the Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, and Isuzu plants here, specializing in this type of vehicle. The local market has high consumption; Australia is also an avid buyer, as are Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and New Zealand. Last year, they exported 85,000 light trucks, NPR type, and produced 734,000 one-ton pickup trucks, of which 89,709 were shipped to other countries.

In Thailand, Toyota and Isuzu fight day to day for the market pole position, but in terms of history in our country, Isuzu (with the name of Chevrolet through an agreement with Colmotores that survived until recently and is still in use for heavy trucks ) has deep roots since it began to be assembled in 1981. It is, unless there is news outside our memory, the first Japanese vehicle that was made in Latin America or, at least, in South America.

This is the LUV, which revolutionized the concept of American utility vehicles, with high-displacement engines and the same capacity as this Japanese option, which, with just 1,600 cc of four-cylinder power for a lower cost and a comparatively modest appetite for gasoline, changed the face of the market.

From 1981 to 2023, Isuzu supplied the most advanced versions of the LUV (Light Utility Vehicle), which later changed its name to D-Max, the Trooper and many chassis , especially buses that transformed intercity transport.

The agreement with Colmotores was dissolved when Chevrolet decided to bring its own pickup truck, the Colorado, and Isuzu was discontinued until last year when Continautos brought the brand back to a territory that had been its home.

However, there's one detail that customers miss: the D-Max name, which has been hidden for legal reasons. During its association with Isuzu, General Motors registered it in South America, but upon its return, Isuzu found itself unable to use its own name.

Today, the D-Max is known in Colombia as the Pick Up, and meanwhile, Colmotores is testing a Chinese pickup truck that would bear that name, which they have exclusive use of. Paradoxes of commerce and its regulations!

This whole story comes to this page after we visited the Isuzu plant near Bangkok, accompanying a group of Colombian technicians who were making their debut in the annual skills competition for representatives from 18 countries where Isuzu operates.

Their limited experience with the product, just months, was a clear disadvantage compared to technicians with many years of experience in workshops. Furthermore, they encountered a right-hand steering wheel configuration, which relocates many components and wiring, making it difficult to decipher in just 45 minutes of work.

In Thailand, politics is governed by the right, but the country has an atypical political organization: a monarchical regime and a parliamentary democratic system composed of a House of Representatives and a Senate in which the king, Maha Vajirakongkorn, known as Rama X, has a more ceremonial role.

However, photos of the royal family are enthroned in the streets, institutions, restaurants, and other places, and a prominent image is the image of the former monarch, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2019 after an act from his throne that is remembered with gratitude throughout the country. He was one of the key factors in enabling the economic stimulus decreed to make this nation, which has half the territory of Colombia but is home to more than 72 million inhabitants, also considered the world's pickup truck kingdom, to whose dynasty we are heirs.

Bogotá and Bangkok are separated by some 18,000 km, the crossing of which, over the Atlantic and the vast area of ​​Southeast Asia, takes well over 2.4 hours of actual navigation time to touch down in the United Arab Emirates to refresh the plane and fill its tanks.

Diverse origins and uses highlight the pickup truck portfolio in our country, which is gaining increasing popularity not only in the work segment, but also in family and recreational use. Here are some examples of what you see on our streets and highways.

Isuzu offers seven versions of this model, each equipped with a 2,999 cm³ diesel engine producing 188 hp and 450 Nm of torque, paired with a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The entry-level model offers single-wheel drive and 4x4 for the rest. Load capacities range from 920 to 960 kilos.

In addition to the body-up models and the entry-level 2.5 L (gasoline), the brand offers the 4x4 SE, XE and LE versions with a 2,298 cm³ twin-turbo diesel engine, 188 horsepower, and with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission.

The SR, SRV, and SRX are the three trim levels Toyota offers for its midsize pickup truck, which shares its portfolio with the chassis version and the luxurious Tundra from the United States. The SRV comes with a 2.7L gasoline or 2.4L turbodiesel engine (the same as the SRV), while the SRX comes with a 4.0L gasoline or 2.8L diesel.

In addition to three body-up models, the brand offers two single-seater pickups (4 x 2 and 4 x 4) and two double-seaters (4 x 4) of the G7 designation with a 2.0 L turbodiesel engine with 161 hp and 390 Nm of torque. Foton also offers the Tunland G9 pickup, a diesel MHEV and turbodiesel.

The Cargo 4x4 MT (101 million pesos) trim level, with steel wheels, is the workhorse of this small pickup truck, which comes in Zen 4x4 MT, Intens 4x2 CVT, and Outsider 4x4 MT trim levels. They're powered by a 1.3L turbo engine with 154 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque, and their bed has a 683-liter capacity.

It shares the same origins as the smaller Montana and is offered in four trim levels, with a 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine producing 207 horsepower and 510 Nm of torque, an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels (front-wheel drive for the base MT model), and payload capacities ranging from 897 to 1,059 kilos. It is marketed alongside the larger Silverado.

Due to its versatility, it is offered in five versions, all with double cabs, which include front-wheel drive or 4 x 4, a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission, and 2.0 L Panther turbo diesel, 2.0 L Panther twin-turbo diesel, and 3.0 L Lion V6 engines, producing 168, 202, and 237 horsepower, respectively. It shares the showcase with the F-150 and the Raptor versions of both models.

Its 2,442 cm³ turbodiesel engine generates 201 horsepower and 470 Nm of torque, with a manual transmission in the GLX model and an automatic transmission in the GLS, both with six speeds, driving all four wheels. The L 200 Triton has just earned five stars in the Latin Ncap tests, a true milestone for the brand.