The all-new Ascender was an Isuzu-tuned version of GM’s Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, powered by the same aluminum 4.2L inline six cylinder and 5.3L V8 engines. It replaced the long running Trooper in the Isuzu lineup. Inside there was room for seven, since the Ascender was more than 2 fg longer than the Trooper and got a third row seat. The big Ascender was about 500 lb heavier than the Trooper, too, but even the base Ascender S could tow more than 5k lbs. The S received the GM DOHC inline six cylinder, while LS and Limited models could have the pushrod V8 as an option.
Why did Isuzu fail in the U.S.? Would Mitsubishi really face the same fate?