Isuzu Aska
Encyclopedia
The original Aska was developed as a part of GM's J-car program and was a welcome replacement for Isuzu's sorely dated Florian
Isuzu Florian
The Isuzu Florian was an intermediate car manufactured by Isuzu Motors Ltd. in Japan from 1967 to 1983. The Florian's body remained essentially the same through its unusually long life cycle, being afforded only two moderate facelifts...

. Contrary to fellow J-cars from other GM divisions, the Aska only came in one body style, a 4-door sedan (the station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...

 body style on the Florian was always relatively unpopular). The Isuzu J car variant differed most notably in the rear styling from other J-car variants. From 1983 to 1984, the Aska was known as the "Florian Aska", before being renamed in 1985 as the "Aska".
The car was launched in March 1983 with 1.8 and 2.0 L gasoline engines and a diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...

. In 1985, a turbocharged version of the 2.0 L engine, which developed 150 PS, joined the lineup. Branded by the German tuner
Car tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...

 Irmscher
Irmscher
Irmscher Automobilbau GmbH & Co. KG is a German automobile tuning and manufacturing company specialising in Opel and recently Peugeot cars....

(specializing in GM cars and cooperated with Isuzu on some other models too), this version featured a distinictive body kit and became somewhat of a cult object among some car fans in Japan.

The Aska was exported to southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

, where it was known as the Isuzu JJ, and to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 as the Holden Camira
Holden Camira
The Holden Camira was a mid-size car produced by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors between 1982 and 1989. It was Holden's version of GM's J-body family of cars—GM's third "global" car platform....

 (JJ) between 1984 and 1987, in lieu of the JD Camira, manufactured in Australia, because the previous Australian-sourced JB Camira fared badly in the New Zealand market (nonetheless, the JD wagon was imported concurrently from Australia). GM switched back to the updated Australian version (JE) in 1987 due to the strengthening Japanese Yen.

The Aska was also assembled in Arica
Arica
Arica is a city in northern Chile. "Arica" may also refer to:Places* Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile* Arica Airport , Chile* Arica, Amazonas, town in Colombia* Rio Aricá-açu, tributary of the Cuiabá River south of Cuiabá, BrazilOther...

, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 from CKD kits from 1984 and sold as Chevrolet Aska in the Chilean domestic market and in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

. Chilean Askas came in three equipment levels (LT, Limited, and Deluxe), with two engines and either automatic or 5-speed manual transmissions. While the two lesser versions both received a 91 PS 1.8-litre coupled to the five-speed, the Deluxe got the larger 2-litre with 100 PS, only fitted with the automatic transmission.

The first generation Aska was discontinued in 1989; production totaled 108,512 cars.

Second generation (1990–1993)

With the exception of the American market, the J platform did not continue into the 1990s. Not having the resources to develop a mid-size car on their own, Isuzu forged a short-lived alliance with Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...

. This provided for Isuzu to supply Subaru with Isuzu Bighorns (rebadged as the Subaru Bighorn), while Isuzu rebadged Subaru's mid-size Legacy
Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car built by the Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries, and manufactured by its division Subaru since 1989, and is available as a sedan or wagon. Part of the original design goals for the Legacy model was to provide Subaru a vehicle in which they could compete in...

 sedan as the Isuzu Aska. Both rebadged models were sold only in the Japanese market. There was also a Subaru Leone Van version briefly available, badged as the Isuzu Geminett II.

The EJ series
Subaru EJ engine
The Subaru EJ engine is a series of automotive engines manufactured by Subaru and introduced in 1989, intended to succeed the previous Subaru EA engine. The EJ series is the mainstay of Subaru's engine line, with all engines of this series being 16-valve flat-4 horizontal, with configurations...

 engine was offered. in both 1.8 and 2.0 liter displacement
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...

s. The engine has either SOHC/DOHC architecture and pent-roof, cross flow
Crossflow cylinder head
A crossflow cylinder head is a cylinder head that features the intake and exhaust ports on opposite sides. The gases can be thought to flow across the head...

 cylinder firing chambers.

The 2.0 liter fuel delivery was managed with sequential multiport fuel injection called MPFI, and the 1.8 liter engine used a modified fuel delivery system with single point throttle body fuel injection called SPFI. The DOHC 2.0 liter non turbocharged
Naturally-aspirated engine
A naturally aspirated engine is one common type of reciprocating piston internal combustion engine that depends solely on atmospheric pressure to counter the partial vacuum in the induction tract to draw in combustion air...

 engine had a dual stage intake manifold
Inlet manifold
In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders...

.

The 2.0 liter vehicle came optional with Subaru's AWD system while the 1.8 came with FWD only. As with all other Askas, this was only ever available with four-door saloon bodywork.

Third (1994–1997) and Fourth (1998–2002) generation

Later, Isuzu entered a more substantial model-exchange alliance with Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

. Among other models, it encompassed the rebadging of the Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....

sedan as the Isuzu Aska. This lasted for two generations - thus the third generation Aska was the fifth generation Accord and the fourth was the sixth generation Accord sedan. The Aska remained a Japanese-only model and was discontinued in 2002.

External links

Photos of the Irmscher Aska Isuzu Aska Owners' Club "J2" (1st-gen Askas)
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