Isuzu Bighorn diesel 4x4s imported from Japan: the right-hand-drive Isuzu Trooper with the engines and seats the U.S. never got. Every Bighorn here is either in Houston now or on its way from Japan and available to reserve.
The Bighorn is Isuzu's full-size body-on-frame 4WD wagon, better known in America as the Isuzu Trooper (1992–2002) and the Acura SLX (1996–1999). It was also sold as the Honda Horizon and Subaru Bighorn in Japan, the Opel and Vauxhall Monterey in Europe and the Holden Jackaroo in Australia, and the model line passed a million units in October 1999. The second generation launched in Japan in December 1991 with the first 24-valve DOHC V6 in its class and won the Japan Car of the Year special award in 1992. What Americans never got were the diesels, the seven-seat interior and the Lotus- and Irmscher-tuned suspension grades, and those are the reasons to import one: you get a Trooper's parts availability with a drivetrain the U.S. never saw. Every second-generation Bighorn built from December 1991 through December 2001 is old enough to import today; the final January to September 2002 cars follow month by month in 2027.
What makes the Bighorn different
The 4JX1 diesel. From February 1998 the diesel was a 3.0-liter, 16-valve direct-injection intercooled turbo-diesel with electronically controlled, oil-actuated unit injectors (Isuzu called it common-rail), making 160 PS and 333 N·m (246 lb-ft) at 2,000 rpm. It won Japan's RJC Technology of the Year award in 1998 and was never sold in the U.S.
Two 4WD systems. Conventional part-time 2H/4H/4L, or Torque-On-Demand, an electronically controlled transfer case you can leave engaged on pavement (details below).
Seven seats on the long body. A third row on the 2,760 mm (108.7 in) wheelbase; U.S. Troopers were five-seaters.
Handling by Lotus and Irmscher. Genuine tuner tie-ups: Lotus-tuned suspension with a MOMO wheel on the Lotus grades, and German Irmscher tuning on the 1991–1998 Irmscher grades.
Truck underpinnings. Ladder frame, torsion-bar double-wishbone front suspension, a four-link coil-sprung rear axle, 210 mm (8.3 in) of ground clearance and an 85-liter (22.5 gal) tank.
Which Bighorns can be imported
U.S. rules let a vehicle that wasn't built to U.S. standards be imported once it's at least 25 years old, counted from its month and year of manufacture. In 2026 that means Bighorns built in 2001 or earlier:
Reading the code: the digits name the engine, G is the long-wheelbase 5-door and D the short-wheelbase 3-door (built March 1992 to June 2001), and the letters before the hyphen on Japanese paperwork (KD-, KH-, GF-, TA-) are emissions codes. Every second-generation Bighorn is a passenger-registered 4WD; there was no 2WD or commercial version in Japan. The first-generation Bighorn (1981–1991) is also eligible but is a narrower, older vehicle.
2WD or 4x4?
Every Bighorn is a 4x4; the choice is between two systems. Most grades use part-time 4WD with a floor lever: 2H (rear-wheel drive on pavement), 4H (front axle locked to the rear, for loose surfaces only) and 4L (low range). From May 1995 Isuzu offered shift-on-the-fly between 2H and 4H, and it was standard on the 1998–2002 cars. The Lotus SE, Irmscher II and Plaisir II grades instead use TOD, Torque-On-Demand, a BorgWarner electronically controlled transfer case that runs in rear-wheel drive and sends torque to the front wheels as the rears slip, so it can be left engaged on wet pavement; its positions are 2WD, TOD and 4L, and it keeps a conventional locked low range. The 2001 Field Star reverted to part-time 4WD. A rear limited-slip differential was standard on the Irmscher RS and a factory option on everything else, so check the listing. Transmissions are a GM 4L30-E 4-speed automatic with overdrive and lock-up (fully electronic on diesels from October 1999) or an Aisin 5-speed manual.
Versions you'll see
Handling by Lotus and Lotus SE: Lotus-tuned suspension and a MOMO steering wheel. The SE was the top grade from 1993 and the first with TOD (1995); the 2001 SE added 18-inch alloys, leather, wood trim, dual air conditioning and cruise control.
Irmscher, Irmscher RS, Irmscher II and Irmscher Wide (1991–1998): German-tuner suspension and trim. The RS is the short-body 3.2 V6 manual with a standard rear LSD; "II" means TOD; "Wide" means the 90 mm wider fender body introduced in May 1995.
BASIC, then LS (1991–2001): the base grade on steel wheels. The LS Field Star of February 2000 was a 150-unit special with two-tone paint, alloys and fog lamps, and the Field Star became a catalog grade in July 2001: narrow body, part-time 4WD, five seats, diesel or gasoline.
XS Plaisir, Plaisir and Plaisir II: the wide-fender grades; the TOD-equipped Plaisir II was the volume model from 1998 to 2002, with an optional Sport Package of heated Recaro seats and the LSD.
Short body (1992–2001): the 3-door on a 2,330 mm (91.7 in) wheelbase, 4,290 mm (169 in) long with a 5.0 m turning radius.
Any Bighorn that's in Houston can be inspected and test driven at our lot.
Questions buyers ask
Is it the same as an Isuzu Trooper? Yes. The frame, body shell, suspension, brakes, automatic, transfer case and TOD hardware and the 3.2 and 3.5 V6s are shared with the 1992–2002 U.S. Trooper, so those parts are available here. The Japan-only items are the diesel engines and their cooling, exhaust and electronics, the right-hand-drive parts and the third-row seat.
Can I title and register a Bighorn in Texas? Yes. Imported vehicles 25 years or older are titled with their import paperwork, a law enforcement VIN inspection (Form VTR-68-A) and Form 130-U at your county tax office. Our Texas title and registration guide walks through the steps, and your county office can confirm what it needs. Other states have their own rules, so check with yours before you buy.
What fuel does it use, and what mileage should I expect? The 4JX1 runs on diesel; the V6s take regular unleaded. Isuzu's Japanese test-cycle figures were 10.4 km/L (24 mpg) for the diesel automatic and 12.2 km/L (29 mpg) for the diesel manual, against 7.4–7.8 km/L (17–18 mpg) for the 3.5 V6; the U.S. EPA rated the 3.5 automatic Trooper at 15 city and 19 highway. With the 85-liter tank, a diesel has a lab-figure range of roughly 880 km (550 miles).
Will it keep up on the highway? Yes. The diesel's 333 N·m arrives at 2,000 rpm, the automatic has overdrive and lock-up, and the U.S. Trooper was rated to tow 5,000 lb when properly equipped. A long-body diesel weighs 2,020–2,170 kg (4,450–4,780 lb).
How big is it? The long body is 4,720–4,750 mm (186–187 in) long on a 2,760 mm (108.7 in) wheelbase, 1,745 mm (68.7 in) wide with standard fenders or 1,835 mm (72.2 in) with the wide fenders, and 1,840 mm (72.4 in) tall, with five or seven seats.
Is the odometer in miles? No. Japanese vehicles read in kilometers, and our listings show the odometer in km. 1 km is about 0.62 miles.
Is it right-hand drive? Yes, like every Japanese-market vehicle.
Can I buy one that's still on its way from Japan? Yes. Reserve an In Transit Bighorn with a $1,000 deposit. See how buying works.
Written by Farhad Musazada, Skyline Kei Trucks. Published October 19, 2026.
