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Low budget and failure to innovate meant Isuzu wasn't as successful as its Japanese counterparts. Regardless, the small automaker made some cool cars.

Very few people remember or even talk about Isuzu vehicles these days. Although, Isuzu has been around for almost as long as their Japanese counterparts, Toyota and Honda, they never achieved the same level of global success.

Isuzu was officially founded in 1934, but the company's history dates way before the 1930s. At first, like other auto manufacturers, Isuzu had a lineup of different sedan and compact car models. However, the brand also produced commercial vehicles and diesel engines. In 1972, General Motors bought a 34% stake in the Japanese company, and together, they made the T-body Chevrolet Corvette.

By the end of the 90s, General Motors increased its stake in Isuzu to 49%. In an unfortunate turn of events, Isuzu sales began declining. The carmaker focused on making commercial vehicles, and at a point, they were left with only one passenger car model. In 2009, Isuzu completely withdrew from the US market with a lack of sales as the reason. Today, Isuzu is mostly known for its trucks and commercial vehicles, but before that, they had some cool cars. We pick the eight coolest cars from the automaker.

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Isuzu's most popular model, the Trooper, is a boxy SUV with a solid build. For the 1999 model, Isuzu stuck with the original design, but they made some changes. The 1999 Trooper runs on a 3.5-liter V6 with the base model delivering 215 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque. There's nothing fancy about the Trooper's interior, but it's roomy and comfortable.

Though the Isuzu Trooper handles like a truck, the SUV is reliable. In 1993, Isuzu entered a vehicle exchange program with Honda, and both manufacturers exchanged models between themselves. The Isuzu Trooper got rebadged and sold as the Acura SLX by Honda.

Despite its short production timeline, the Isuzu Impulse seared itself in memories. Isuzu released the sporty Impulse model in 1991, and after 1992, they ceased production. Only about 700-800 Isuzu Impulse models were released in North America, so the vehicle is quite rare. The 1992 Impulse has both hatchback and coupe trims.

Both trim levels are available in RS Turbo two-door coupe AWD, XS two-door coupe, and XS two-door hatchback styles. Like a typical Isuzu model, the Impulse is a reliable and solid build. The 1992 Impulse uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine in its XS coupe style, and the engine can deliver 125-130 horsepower. There's also a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine with 160 horsepower.

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Isuzu released the Hombre Crew Cab in 1966, but the truck's engine was weak and received heavy criticism. The next model year, Isuzu upgraded the truck's engine and got a better transmission system. Later in the 2000 model, the manufacturer made heavy-duty transmission standard and boosted the horsepower.

Most parts and mechanical components used to make the Hombre Crew Cab were gotten from the GMC Sonoma. The Isuzu Hombre Crew Cab has nine different trim levels. Still, the most popular trim is the S two-door regular cab, and this trim has a 2.2-liter four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with 120 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque.

The Isuzu 117 Coupe is a small Gran Turismo car with an exquisite design. Isuzu employed the services of world-renowned designer– Giogetto Giugiaro to design the 117 Coupe. The Italian designer has worked on big projects like the 1960 Alfa Romeo 2000 Sprint, 1982 Lamborghini Marco Polo concept car, 1976 lotus Esprit, and the 1961 Maserati 5000 GT.

As always, Giogetto Giugiaro delivered an awesome design. The Coupe's front is longer, while the rear is shorter. In the auto industry, the 217 Coupe is credited with being the first sports car with a diesel engine.

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Isuzu built the Amigo Cabrio to compete with the Jeep Wrangler, but in the long run, it wasn't successful. However, while the Isuzu Amigo Cabrio couldn't keep up with the Jeep Wrangler, it could best other SUVs in its class, at least some of them. The Amigo Cabrio looks similar to the Isuzu Trooper but more refined.

Isuzu's 1999 Amigo Cabrio has two engine options; a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine and the more powerful 3.2-liter V6. The 2.2-liter engine produces 130 horsepower, while the 3.2-liter engine is capable of 205 horsepower. Compared to the 2000 Suzuki Vitara's 97.0 horsepower, the Isuzu Amigo Cabrio has more power.

When looking at Isuzu's models, the Geo Storm is probably some of the company's best designs. The model is an economical sport compact, and it doesn't carry the Isuzu badge because Geo marketed it. Geo is a small car brand under General Motors. When Isuzu produced the Storm, it was marketed in the US under 'Geo Storm.'

However, the car is marketed in Japan as the Isuzu Gemini Coupe or the Isuzu PA Nero. Built on the General Motors P-body platform, the Geo Storm looks like the Pontiac Fiero with which it shares a platform. Some of the 1992 Geo Storm strongest points are in its performance, reliability, and economy.

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First unveiled as the Ghia Isuzu 117 at the 1966 Tokyo Motor Show, the Isuzu Florian was made to replace the Isuzu Bellel. The next year, Isuzu released the car, and there were two body styles; the sedan and the station wagon. In the intermediate class, the Isuzu Florian competed with other Japanese cars like the Mazda Luce, Toyota Mark II, and the Nissan Laurel.

Since Isuzu maintained the same design since the car's release in 1967, the 1981 model looks dated. The 1981 Florian is capable of churning out 109 horsepower, and while that doesn't seem impressive by today's standards, it was enough in the early 1980s.

Isuzu means 'fifty bells' in Japanese, and that's part of the reason why this model is called the Bellel. The Isuzu Bellel was first introduced in 1961, and from its body design and round headlights, you could tell that it was a car from the '60s. Apart from the sedan version, the Bellel has a station wagon variant known as the 'Bellel Express.'

The Isuzu Bellel is important because it was their first independent design after different partnerships with foreign brands. Back in the '60s, the Isuzu Bellel was popularly used for taxi services. The 1967 model was the last Bellel, and it uses a diesel engine with 67 horsepower. However, since Isuzu was still new with diesel engines at the time, the 1967 Bellel's handling wasn't so refined.

Hillary Princewill is a Nigerian writer who grew up spending a lot of time in his Dad's garage. He loves sports car, F1 and military vehicles.