2003 Holden Rodeo Crew Cab 2.5L TD 5MT RWD (79 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Introduced in 2003 as a badge-engineered version of the Isuzu D-Max, the 2003 Holden Rodeo targeted customers looking for pickups that could be used for work and leisure activities.

General Motors owned more than 30 percent of the Isuzu car manufacturer and helped it gain more traction in the medium-sized pickup segment. Depending on the country where the vehicle was sold, the car manufacturer adopted different strategies. In Australia, Holden had a much bigger brand awareness, so selling the D-Max labeled as the Rodeo seemed natural. The first generation of this nameplate broke cover in 1980 and was replaced by a second generation, known as the TF/R7 (4WD/2WD), in 1988. Fast forward to 2003, when the third and final generation of the Holden Rodeo appeared on the market. It was available in three cab configurations, as a chassis-cab or as a pickup, with two or four-wheel-drive systems, in three grades: the DX, the LX, and the LT.

The car’s front fascia was almost identical to the one installed on the Isuzu D-Max launched in Thailand in 2002. It featured tall and narrow headlights, emphasizing the car’s height. Between them, the 2003 Holden Rodeo Double Cab featured a three-slat grille surrounded by a body-colored trim and sporting the brand’s badge. Lower, the automaker placed a black or color-keyed wrapped-around plastic bumper that sported an additional slim air intake in the middle. Furthermore, customers could get the vehicle with fog lamps below the headlights.

From its profile, the 2003 Holden Rodeo Crew Cab had an off-road stance emphasized by the flared wheel arches on both axles, regardless of whether it was 2WD or 4WD. The main difference was for the ground clearance, which was higher for the latter. In the LT grade, the automaker placed body-colored rubber stripes on the lower sides of the doors to protect them against shopping carts. The door handles and mirrors sported chromed finishes, which created an image of a more luxurious vehicle. Behind the four-door cabin, the automaker installed a 1419 mm (56-inch) long bed with an overall area of 2.2 meters (23.7 sq-ft.). At the back, the Rodeo sported a set of angular-shaped, corner-mounted taillights that flanked the drop-down tailgate.

Even if the automaker tried to make the 2003 Holden Rodeo Crew Cab more family-friendly, it couldn’t conceal the vehicle’s utilitarian destination. As a result, the rounded-shaped dashboard was made from hard plastic materials. On the center stack, the car had an available in-dash CD changer, with the HVAC control panel placed below it. The center console housed the gear stick, while the transfer case was activated via buttons placed below the center vents. Fronting the driver was a rounded-shaped instrument cluster where the speedometer took center stage and was flanked by the tachometer on the left and by the fuel level and coolant temperature gauges on the right. At the front, the firm bucket seats were almost flat, with small side bolstered areas. At the same time, the flip-up bench seat at the back could host three adults and had a storage area underneath.

Under the hood, the 2003 Holden Rodeo Crew Cab was available with a choice of two gasoline and a turbodiesel engine. Customers could get the pickup with a 2.4-liter inline-four, a 3.5-liter V6, or a three-liter turbodiesel four-banger under the hood paired with a five-speed manual transmission across the range. A four-speed automatic transmission was available for the V6 and oil-burner powerhouses. 4WD versions also boasted a limited-slip differential in the rear and a two-speed transfer case with shift-on-the-fly, push-button activation.