If somebody had told me that an automaker would invite and fly me to Thailand for the ongoing 45th Bangkok International Motor Show, I would have confidently guessed that the host would be Toyota or Ford or Nissan or even Mitsubishi. But no, none of these four manufacturers brought Filipino motoring journalists to our ASEAN neighbor for this year’s edition of the annual car show.

How could I have forgotten that the producer of the best-selling pickup truck in Thailand—which had traditionally been a pickup country in the first place—was no less than Isuzu, the unassuming and hardworking brand of commercial vehicles? And admittedly, when Isuzu Philippines Corporation formally notified me of the trip, I had very low expectations. I mean, what kind of excitement would I suppose to derive from a brand with a limited passenger-vehicle lineup?

Ah, but leave it to Isuzu to impress people with creative ways to present its vehicles. Here are the Japanese manufacturer’s seven displays at the show that I found particularly interesting—arranged from mildly intriguing to extremely captivating.

7. Mu-X 4×2. This SUV’s main highlight is its set of alloy wheels, but I also like its subtle decals above its rear fenders. Simple doesn’t mean unworthy of a slot in a car show.

6. D-Max X-Series Hi-Lander. The fact that Isuzu’s pickup truck has so many versions in this market should tell you that it is the company’s bread and butter. That this one looks like Venom tells us that this pickup is versatile enough to be packaged whatever which way the brand or the customers want it.

5. Elf EV. In our country (and indeed around the world), commercial trucks, whether light- or heavy-duty, have a very utilitarian image about them. No-nonsense vehicles, in other words. So when you see a large truck—an Isuzu one at that—with electric propulsion, you pause and pay attention.

4. Mu-X 4×4. Good idea prettifying an otherwise ordinary-looking midsize SUV. Put black wheels, a badass bull bar, some overlanding gear, loud decals…and voila!

3. D-Max V-Cross 4×4. Like I said, this pickup has a number of variants. Consider this the truck version of the Mu-X 4×4 mentioned above. Many are turning to overlanding as a lifestyle choice, and this conversion should convince more enthusiasts.

2. D-Max EV Concept. Okay. You probably expected this to top the list. After all, this is the centerpiece of the booth. According to a previous article, this electric D-Max is still a prototype, “but Isuzu is planning to commence series production in 2025.” In fact, I suspect that Isuzu merely wanted us to know that it is ready (and willing) to join the engine-less bandwagon. Question is: Will diesel pickup users in the Philippines embrace this?

1. D-Max Spacecab. I fell in love at first sight with this single-cab pickup. So much so that I tried to persistently persuade Isuzu Philippines president Tetsuya Fujita and sales vice president Toshihiko Kojima to bring it to our market. What’s not to like? Handsome stance. Minimalist styling. Offset wheels. Suicide doors. Generous cargo bed. I seriously crushed on this. So, again, IPC bosses…make it happen.

You can still visit the Bangkok car show until April 7 (Sunday). Check out my top vehicle for this list, and see if I’m wrong.