11 Brands, 12 Different Names: This Legendary Isuzu Off - Roader Is The Most Rebadged SUV In History

By Published Aug 2, 2026, 2:25 PM EDT Gerhard started his career in automotive journalism in 2010, after finishing degrees in Communication, English, and Politics, and diplomas in Film and Art Appreciation and Graphic Design. He's currently a senior editor with experience in local and global coverage, and more than 1,000 test cars driven. He started his career at CarBuzz in January 2021. Sign in to your CarBuzz account A single failed model can bankrupt a car company. To save millions in R&D, automakers regularly embrace badge-engineering, but few platforms have been shared like the Isuzu Trooper. What began as a no-frills, dependable Japanese off-roader quickly turned into the industry’s ultimate chameleon. Rebranded by mainstream, budget, and luxury marques alike across the globe, the Trooper easily claims the crown as the most rebadged car of all time. What is a Rebadged Car? 2025 Subaru BRZ Purple Front Angle Subaru 2025 Toyota GR86 Green w/ Bronze Wheels Front Angled View Toyota Close 2025 Subaru BRZ Purple Front Angle Subaru 2025 Toyota GR86 Green w/ Bronze Wheels Front Angled View Toyota A rebadged car, at its core, is a model produced by one automaker and sold under another brand's name. The changes are often very minimal and typically cosmetic, consisting of mainly new badges, minor styling updates, or different trim levels, while the mechanical components remain largely unchanged. As we said before, it's usually driven by an automaker's need to save costs, can help them expand into new markets, and mainly allows them to diversify their product offerings. Smaller automakers can reach international audiences without having to spend the immediate upfront costs of creating a new model, and larger companies usually use it to fill gaps in their lineup. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense that an automaker drops the hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars necessary to create a car for a shrinking segment. However, the process isn't always straightforward. Successfully rebadging a car often requires careful attention to branding, market perception, and consumer needs. Buyers don't want to feel that they've been fooled when they purchase an American-branded vehicle that's actually produced by an international automaker, so a fine line must be walked. In the Trooper's case, it doesn't appear anyone was too worried about this. The Isuzu Trooper 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK LWB 3.0 Diesel Turbo DOHC Duty Blue Front Angle on Dirt Isuzu UK 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK 3.0 Diesel Turbo DOHC Duty Gray Interior Front Cabin Isuzu UK 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK LWB 3.5 Petrol DOHC Citation Green Side Driving Through Water Isuzu UK 1987 Isuzu Trooper II White Front Angle Bring A Trailer 1987 Isuzu Trooper II White Rear Angle Bring A Trailer 1987 Isuzu Trooper II White Rear Angle Brown Interior Front Cabin Bring A Trailer Close 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK LWB 3.0 Diesel Turbo DOHC Duty Blue Front Angle on Dirt Isuzu UK 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK 3.0 Diesel Turbo DOHC Duty Gray Interior Front Cabin Isuzu UK 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK LWB 3.5 Petrol DOHC Citation Green Side Driving Through Water Isuzu UK 1987 Isuzu Trooper II White Front Angle Bring A Trailer 1987 Isuzu Trooper II White Rear Angle Bring A Trailer 1987 Isuzu Trooper II White Rear Angle Brown Interior Front Cabin Bring A Trailer The Isuzu Trooper debuted in 1981 as a no-nonsense SUV built for off-road durability and practical use. Its boxy design, ample interior space, and rugged construction made it perfect for the South Asian markets it was sold in, but it also found favor abroad thanks to its low price. Sold in two- and four-door versions as well as with a short and long wheelbase, it was initially underpowered, using various inline-four engines, but it was finally given the GM 2.8-liter V6 out of the S10 in the late '80s, which finally gave it enough performance to be competitive. The second-generation Trooper (1991–2002) was a large improvement in terms of looks, comfort, and performance, and this was the model that served as the basis for its many rebadged versions. It offered a large range of powertrains, including inline-four and V6 engines, as well as diesel options in select markets, and power significantly increased by the late '90s as GM, Honda, and Isuzu reached a more permanent working partnership. When Rebadging Works, And When It Doesn't 1995 Honda Passport Maroon Front Angle on Snow Honda Rebadging can work wonders when the vehicle being rebadged works with a brand's identity and can play to its strengths. A famous example is the Honda Passport, a rebadged version of another Isuzu product, the Rodeo (or MU Wizard in Japan). Another model that was rebadged, it had the benefit of being a no-frills off-roader that could easily fit into any lineup with minor modifications. As SUVs were taking off in the '90s, customers couldn't get enough of them, and the Passport did a great job of filling the SUV-shaped hole in the Honda lineup while also giving the brand a capable image. 2025 GMC Yukon Front Group Black & Silver on Dirt w/ Rocky Ridge in Background GMC Similarly, General Motors has long used rebadging to its advantage (including later on in this article). Just look at GMC and Chevy. Both brands' SUVs and trucks are nearly identical, but because they serve different audiences, with GMC's products positioned slightly upmarket, they're able to both coexist in the US marketplace and be successful in their own right. In the past, it made you wonder why anyone would ever pick the more expensive GMC model, but given the unfortunate design choices of recent Chevy products, having the option is much appreciated. 2004 Pontiac Aztek Orange Front Angled View General Motors However, it doesn't always go according to plan, and GM had an infamous rebadging flop about 20 years ago with the Pontiac Aztek and Buick Rendezvous. We all know how poorly the Aztek was received when it debuted, and the Rendezvous' reception wasn't much better thanks to poor marketing on both ends and a generally unappealing design. In another failure a few years earlier, GM poorly rebadged the Chevy Suburban as the Cadillac Escalade to get a Lincoln Navigator competitor on the market. Looking at these examples, successful rebadging isn't always easy, and while we can't say all the Trooper's rebadgings were a success, the sheer number is impressive in and of itself. Its Many Rebadged Variants 1997 Acura SLX Red Front Angle Driving Acura 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK LWB 3.0 Diesel Turbo DOHC Insignia Gray Front Angle Isuzu UK 1992-1999 Opel Monterey Green Front Angle on Gravel Stellantis 1998 Holden Jackaroo Silver Front Angle Holden 1998 Honda Horizon White Front Angle Honda Japan Close 1997 Acura SLX Red Front Angle Driving Acura 2001 Isuzu Trooper UK LWB 3.0 Diesel Turbo DOHC Insignia Gray Front Angle Isuzu UK 1992-1999 Opel Monterey Green Front Angle on Gravel Stellantis 1998 Holden Jackaroo Silver Front Angle Holden 1998 Honda Horizon White Front Angle Honda Japan Finally, we get to the Isuzu Troopers' own rebadged variants, and over two generations it was sold in practically every corner of the globe under one brand or another. Each rebadged version brought slight variations to suit its target market, yet the core vehicle remained unmistakably a Trooper. Honda Horizon (Japan): Sold domestically under Honda’s badge with minimal changes to its rugged design. SsangYong Korando Family (South Korea): Produced under license by SsangYong, tailored to the South Korean market with slight styling tweaks. Holden Jackaroo (Australia): Rebranded for the Australian market, emphasizing its utility for the rugged outback, and having a hilarious name. Subaru Bighorn (New Zealand): A Subaru-badged version marketed in New Zealand, it took the Bighorn name from Isuzu in Japan Caribe 442 (Central America): A rebadged Trooper sold in Central America under the Isuzu brand. Mekong Star 4WD (Vietnam): A locally assembled version tailored to Vietnam’s growing demand for rugged utility vehicles and supposedly exported. Opel Monterey (Europe): Marketed as a mid-range SUV in Western Europe with minor styling updates Vauxhall Monterey (United Kingdom): The UK-specific version of the Opel Monterey, aimed at British off-road enthusiasts. Chevrolet Trooper (South America): Rebadged under Chevrolet to capitalize on GM’s strong brand presence in South America. Acura SLX (North America): A luxury-focused version with upgraded materials and branding to appeal to high-end buyers, and our personal favorite Isuzu rebadge. Daewoo Bighorn (South Korea): Another South Korean rebadge, sold under Daewoo’s name for urban and rural buyers. Sainjiu Trooper (China): Assembled as a completely knocked-down (CKD) model in China by Sainjiu for local markets. That's 12 separate models under 11 brands, and if you look at pictures of these vehicles, it's immediately obvious they're all Troopers, but at a certain point, it's almost endearing that so many brands attempted to sell them off as their own models. It was a vehicle that could easily be tailored to a different market, and its utilitarian nature made it useful no matter where you were in the world. They just don't make them like they used to, but you can't say they didn't try. Sources: Isuzu UK, Honda, Stellantis. Mainstream Cars Like Follow Followed Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Add Us Add on Google Preferred Source Google Discover Google News Close