Isuzu · 1981–1993

Isuzu Piazza

The Isuzu Piazza is a small, sporty 3-door liftback coupé which was manufactured by Isuzu from 1981–1993 across two generations, marketed also as the Isuzu Impulse in North America and as the Holden Piazza in Australia. The first generation Piazza used rear-wheel drive and in the United Kingdom it was the first widely available Isuzu passenger car. The second generation used front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and was marketed as the lower-priced Gemini Coupé and as the Geo Storm in the US market. As of 2010, the number of registered Impulses in North America totaled only 2,300, making Impulses very rare.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Isuzu 117 Coupé · Successor: Geo

All Isuzu Piazza data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

First generation (JR120/130; 1980)

In 1978, Isuzu commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro to design a new sporty car to replace the 117 Coupe (also a Giugiaro design). They delivered several T Series Chevettes (developed in 1973 in South America) to the Italdesign studio in Italy and allowed Giugiaro free rein over the design. The result of this effort was the wedge-shaped three-door hatchback called the Asso di Fiori ("Ace of Clubs") prototype and show car. It was shown at the 1979 Tokyo Motor Show to rave reviews. Giugiaro referred to the design as his fifth "Copernican revolution", integrating the design innovations of many different previous designs into one, mass producible, vehicle. Within 48 hours of its unveiling at the Tokyo Motor Show, Isuzu fast tracked the vehicle into production with minimal changes to the design. Items that remained included the single blade front windshield wiper, and an integrated steering wheel adjustment that also moved the instrument cluster, with wiper controls and exterior lighting controls installed just behind the steering wheel on either side, a feature that later appeared on the Ford Probe. The first Piazza was assembled in September 1980 in Fujisawa, Japan, available with either 120 PS (88 kW), 120 lb⋅ft (163 N⋅m) 2.0 L SOHC inline-four MPFI engine, a carryover from the Isuzu 117 Coupé, or a 135 PS (99 kW), 123 lb⋅ft (167 N⋅m) 2.0 L DOHC MPFI I4 engine. Five-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions were available, and all models were rear-wheel drive. In April 1984, a 180 PS (132 kW), 185 lb⋅ft (251 N⋅m) turbocharged SOHC I4 engine was introduced, and the DOHC naturally aspirated engine was phased out in years that followed. Piazzas were available in a multitude of trim levels including Bella, XN, XS, XJ, XE, XG, and Nero. There were three different suspension t

Second generation (JT22; 1991)

The second generation Piazza/Impulse was designed on General Motors's second generation R-body "world car" platform. GM had commissioned Isuzu to build a replacement for the Spectrum, this time including a sportier model called the Storm (Gemini Coupé in Japan). The body design of the Storm was strongly influenced by GM and drew heavily from GM Europe's design submission for the Lotus Elan M100. Under Shiro Nakamura, Isuzu's then head of design, the third generation Gemini sedan was first designed on this platform, and then attention was turned to a sporty coupé to replace the first generation Impulse. Starting with the Storm, alternative front and rear treatments were made, retaining the "capsule" theme of the Gemini sedan, and drawing heavy influence from the rear-wheel drive Impulse (semi-concealed headlights with integrated grille as well as hood and taillight styling) while also expanding on the "European look", which later became a central point of marketing the vehicle in Japan. In the United States, the three-door hatchback debuted as the Impulse XS in 1989 for the 1990 model year. It was offered only in front-wheel drive with a DOHC 1.6 L (1588 cc) inline-four engine which produced 130 hp (97 kW) and 102 lb·ft (138 Nm). The suspension consisted of MacPherson struts both front and rear, with a rigid trailing arm front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension, featuring Nishiboric passive steering. Because of labor shortages in Japan, however, the car was only ready for press introductions in March 1990 and went on sale shortly thereafter. For the 1991 model year, the Impulse RS was introduced with a 160 hp (119 kW) and 150 lb·ft (203 Nm) turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive drivetrain which featured rear viscous differential and center planetary differenti

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Isuzu Piazza
Manufacturer: Isuzu
Production: June 1981 – December 1993
Assembly: Japan: Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Kawasaki Plant)
Class: Sports car
Predecessor: Isuzu 117 Coupé

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1674974CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_PiazzaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1372466610 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isuzu_Piazza_(1981-1992).jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Kuha455405 at Japanese Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.