A restomod ute? Isuzu has unveiled a surprising Holden Rodeo throwback

Utes are the most popular kind of vehicle in Australia, but their inherent purpose means they were never intended to be preserved. Thus, when you think of the second-generation Holden Rodeo, our local badge-engineered version of the Isuzu TF sold from 1988-2002, the image of a beaten-up farm truck will likely come to mind.

With the whole world now deeply entrenched in the restomod craze, Isuzu Thailand has turned its attention to this unassuming little pickup truck to create its own restomod – the Dragon Max, named such as its launch year of 1988 was the Year of the Dragon.

Unveiled at the 2025 Bangkok International Motor Show, this one-off build shows there may well be a market for turning even the most humble of utes into a flashy restomod, so it would be no surprise for some Aussie companies to take note of it.

Featuring a reworked front end and widebody treatment, the once-humble ute has been given the cyberpunk treatment (Image: Isuzu Thailand)

As is to be expected for a restomod, Isuzu has fitted it with a new front bumper, grille, bonnet, and LED headlights, all of which gives it a bit of a cyberpunk look at the front which is accentuated by the Katana Matte Silver paintwork.

Elsewhere, there are new side skirts, more aggressively flared wheel arches, and a wide-body rear tray with a ducktail spoiler. It also sits lower thanks to Profender suspension, with it riding on 17-inch alloys that hide a set of Brembo disc brakes.

Alcantara-trimmed Recaro seats are the real highlight of the interior, which has been kitted out with a number of items from the current Isuzu D-Max such as the steering wheel, shifter, and centre console. However, it features even higher-level tech than Isuzu’s current flagship, with a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and 11.8-inch central Android infotainment screen.

The unique rear window design will no doubt be the thing that gets memories jogging when it comes to the Holden Rodeo/Isuzu TF (Image: Isuzu Thailand)

Under the skin, it has been given more oomph than its modern counterpart, too. That’s thanks to it featuring Isuzu’s next-generation ‘MaxForce’ engine, a 2.2-litre turbo diesel now offered in the D-Max and MU-X in Thailand which could succeed the long-running ‘4JJ’ 3.0-litre unit used in Isuzu’s Australian-delivered models. Here, it boasts 164kW and 550Nm, with it backed by an eight-speed automatic.

While most restomods are based on European classics or legendary muscle cars, the Isuzu Dragon Max does beg the question of whether there’s an appetite for more ‘everyday’ vehicles – and indeed the utes us Aussies know and love – to be given the restomod treatment as well.