The automotive press has had a field day bashing GM, sometimes warranted (the Chevrolet HHR) and sometimes not ($2 billion payout to stay clear of Italian automaker Fiat's mess). In regard to the 2006 Isuzu i-280 and i-350 pickups, there is no question GM executives deserve a tongue-lashing. Most people will recognize the vehicle in question as the Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon, trucks that have been sold in the U.S. for a few years now. They compete in a very tough market with the likes of the totally redesigned Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma. Later this year, Isuzu's new i pickups will join the pack, effectively competing for sales against not only the Dodge, Nissan and Toyota, but also identical GM models.

It gets worse. Isuzu trucks will come with a 7-year/75,000-mile powertrain warranty and seven years and 75,000-miles of roadside assistance. That pretty much trounces the 3-year/36,000-miles of coverage offered on the Chevy and GMC. Assuming that 2006 Isuzu i-280 and i-350 pricing is competitive, which would you rather buy - a Chevy Colorado or an Isuzu-badged duplicate with four years and 39,000 miles of extra warranty coverage?

We're betting on the Isuzu. But notice that this warranty is not as good as the old one Isuzu used to offer on models like the Rodeo. Lack of confidence in the product, perhaps?

Yes - the product. The i-280 is a two-wheel drive, extra-cab pickup equipped with a 2.8-liter four-cylinder engine that provides 175 horsepower and 185 lb.-ft. of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a four-speed automatic is optional. Isuzu's i-350 pickup is a four-wheel drive, four-door pickup featuring a 220-horsepower, 3.5-liter, five-cylinder engine that provides 225 lb.-ft. of torque. The four-speed automatic transmission is standard.

Paramount to Isuzu's success and its future in the North American market is adding vehicles for dealers to sell. In an ideal world, a number of innovative new designs with impressive powertrains and unique features would rumble into town proudly displaying an Isuzu badge, but we're stuck with reality and are not afforded the luxury of idealism. So, the best Isuzu can do, right now, is offer a truck we all know as something else, albeit with a much better warranty. While this action won't turn Isuzu around, it may be enough to get more people talking about the brand, stimulate sales a bit, and buy some time until more models are ready for the showroom.

--By Thom Blackett