The Ace of Clubs: Charting the Evolution of the Isuzu Piazza

Isuzu

In the annals of automotive history, some cars are remembered for their earth-shattering performance, others for their mass-market success. A select few, however, carve out a niche for their sheer audacity and design purity. The Isuzu Piazza is one such car. A product of a remarkable collaboration between a Japanese utility vehicle specialist and a legendary Italian design house, the Piazza’s story is one of ambitious style, global adaptation, and a fascinating two-act evolution from a rear-wheel-drive icon to a sophisticated front-wheel-drive performer.

Act I: The Giugiaro Masterpiece (1981-1990)

The Piazza’s genesis lies not in an Isuzu design studio, but in the heart of Turin, Italy. In 1978, Isuzu commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Italdesign to create a striking concept car for the 1979 Geneva Motor Show. The result was the “Asso di Fiori” (Ace of Clubs), a breathtakingly modern hatchback coupe built on the platform of the Isuzu Gemini (a GM T-car derivative). Its glassy canopy, sharp wedge profile, and clean, unadorned surfaces were a revelation. Most remarkably, when Isuzu decided to put the concept into production, they changed astonishingly little.

Production Launch and JDM Models (1981-1984)

The production Isuzu Piazza, chassis code JR120, launched in Japan in September 1981. It was an instant design classic, looking like a spaceship that had landed amongst the more conservative offerings of the day. The interior was just as futuristic as the exterior. In place of traditional stalks on the steering column, the Piazza featured two adjustable satellite pods flanking the instrument cluster, housing controls for everything from headlights and wipers to the climate system.

Initial Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) models were offered with a range of 2.0-litre engines:

  • Piazza XE: The top-tier model, featuring the G200W 2.0-litre DOHC inline-four engine, producing a respectable 135 PS. It was loaded with features like power windows, alloy wheels, and premium upholstery.
  • Piazza XG: A well-equipped model using the G200Z 2.0-litre SOHC engine.
  • Piazza XS & XJ: Lower-tier trim levels, offering the core Piazza experience with fewer luxury appointments.

The game changed in 1984 with the introduction of the Piazza XE Turbo. This model utilized a turbocharged and intercooled version of the SOHC engine (the 4ZC1-T), boosting power to an impressive 180 PS and providing the performance that finally matched the car’s aggressive looks.

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Going Global: The Impulse and the Holden Piazza (1983-1987)

Isuzu, with the backing of its major shareholder General Motors, took the Piazza to international markets. In the United States, it arrived for the 1983 model year as the Isuzu Impulse. Initially, it was offered in a single, well-equipped trim level powered by a fuel-injected 2.0-litre SOHC engine (4ZC1) that produced a modest 90 horsepower. While praised for its stunning Giugiaro styling, critics and consumers felt it was underpowered.

Isuzu rectified this in 1985 with the arrival of the Impulse Turbo. This model received the potent 140-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, along with a more aggressive exterior featuring a rear spoiler, side skirts, and fog lights. The Turbo transformed the Impulse from a stylish cruiser into a genuine performance coupe.

In Australia, the car was launched in 1986 as the Holden Piazza. In a straightforward marketing move, Holden offered only one version: the top-spec 2.0-litre turbocharged model, making it a halo performance car for the brand at the time.

The Lotus Connection and Final Evolution (1985-1990)

The Piazza’s most significant evolution occurred mid-cycle, thanks to another GM connection. By the mid-1980s, GM had acquired Group Lotus, the legendary British engineering firm. Isuzu leveraged this relationship, commissioning Lotus to completely re-engineer the Piazza’s suspension.

Starting in 1985 on JDM models and becoming a key marketing feature on the 1988 Impulse, the “Handling by Lotus” package transformed the car’s dynamics. Lotus engineers revised spring rates, fitted stiffer dampers, and added larger anti-roll bars. The result was a car that cornered with a newfound level of precision and control, finally providing a world-class chassis to complement the world-class design.

This period also brought a significant facelift for the 1988 model year. The sleek front end was updated with a more rounded bumper and the option of flush-mounted headlights. Turbo models received a distinctive, aggressive hood with a prominent scoop to feed the intercooler, often referred to as the “camel hump” hood.

The trim levels for the first-generation car’s final years were as follows:

  • Japan (Piazza JR130/120):
    • XE Handling by Lotus: The definitive model, featuring the turbo engine and Lotus-tuned suspension.
    • Nero: A popular special edition line featuring unique aesthetic touches and often a high level of standard equipment.
  • USA (Impulse):
    • Impulse: The base model, now with a larger 2.3-litre SOHC engine (4ZD1) producing 110 hp, which replaced the 2.0L non-turbo.
    • Impulse Turbo: Continued with the 2.0-litre turbo engine and Lotus suspension. For 1988 and 1989, an RS Turbo model was offered, featuring the most aggressive suspension tune and unique white alloy wheels.
  • Australia (Holden Piazza): The single turbo model continued until its discontinuation in 1988.

By 1990, the groundbreaking rear-wheel-drive Giugiaro design had run its course. It remained a stunning piece of art, but the automotive market was shifting, and Isuzu was ready for a radical change.

Act II: The Global Platform Performer (1990-1993)

For its second generation, the Piazza/Impulse (chassis code JT221) underwent a complete transformation. The bespoke, rear-wheel-drive platform was gone, replaced by GM’s global front-wheel-drive “R-body” platform, which it shared with the Isuzu Gemini Coupe (and its American cousins, the Geo Storm and Asüna Sunfire).

While it lost the singular vision of the Giugiaro original, the new car was a product of its time—a sleek, low-slung, and distinctly Japanese coupe for the 1990s. Its most notable design features were its semi-concealed pop-up headlights and its availability in two distinct body styles: a traditional coupe and a uniquely styled three-door hatchback known as the “Wagonback.”

Performance and Engineering Redefined

The new platform brought a new era of performance. The “Handling by Lotus” branding was applied across the lineup from the very beginning, ensuring crisp and responsive handling. Isuzu, renowned for its engine technology, provided a new suite of sophisticated powerplants.

The model lineup, launched in 1990 for the 1991 model year, was clearer and more performance-oriented than ever before:

  • USA (Impulse):
    • Impulse XS: The standard model, available as either a coupe or Wagonback. It was powered by a spirited 1.6-litre DOHC 16-valve inline-four engine (4XE1-W) producing 130 horsepower.
    • Impulse RS: The flagship model, available only as a coupe. It featured a 1.6-litre DOHC engine with a turbocharger and intercooler (4XF1-T), boosting output to 160 horsepower. Most significantly, the RS came standard with a sophisticated full-time all-wheel-drive system and a viscous-coupling limited-slip rear differential, making it a formidable performer in all weather conditions.
  • Japan (Piazza):
    • The JDM Piazza was offered with a larger 1.8-litre DOHC engine (4XF1) producing 140 PS, and it came with front-wheel-drive only. Trim levels included the 181XE and special editions like the Geo.
  • Canada (Impulse):
    • The Canadian market received a unique base model, the Impulse S, which used a less powerful 95-horsepower 1.6-litre SOHC engine to meet a lower price point.

For the 1992 model year, the Impulse XS had its 1.6L engine replaced with the larger 1.8L DOHC from the JDM Piazza, now making 140 horsepower, narrowing the gap to the top-tier RS.

The End of the Line

Despite its advanced engineering, stylish looks, and the exceptional capability of the AWD RS model, the second-generation Piazza/Impulse faced a challenging market. The sports coupe segment was intensely competitive and beginning to shrink. More critically, Isuzu was in the process of a major corporate restructuring, deciding to cease passenger car production entirely to focus on its highly profitable truck and SUV business.

Production of the Isuzu Piazza and Impulse ceased in 1993. There would be no third act.

Legacy

The Isuzu Piazza’s evolution tells a complete story. It began as an audacious piece of Italian art brought to life, a testament to a time when a mainstream manufacturer dared to build a concept car for the road. It matured with the help of British engineering masters, becoming a cult-classic rear-wheel-drive sports coupe. Finally, it was reborn as a modern, technology-packed performer embodying the height of early-90s Japanese engineering.

Today, the Piazza and Impulse are sought after by enthusiasts who appreciate their unique history and character. The first-generation models are celebrated for their timeless Giugiaro design, while the second-generation AWD RS remains a sleeper performance car of its era. The Piazza was never a sales behemoth, but its legacy as Isuzu’s bold and beautiful “Ace of Clubs” is firmly cemented in automotive history.

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