The Isuzu Piazza—sold in the United States as the Impulse—paired Giorgetto Giugiaro’s sharp design with a futuristic cockpit and engineering that changed substantially across its model years. It was an ambitious car, but “failed” needs a boundary: an owners club’s figures document weak UK imports, not worldwide sales, and they do not establish one definitive reason Isuzu ended the model.
What was the Isuzu Piazza?
The Piazza was Isuzu’s production sports coupe, known as the Impulse in the United States. Its design began with the Asso di Fiori concept, unveiled at the 1979 Geneva Motor Show. Isuzu credits Italdesign, led by Giorgetto Giugiaro, with the concept’s design and says the production Piazza reached the market in 1981. The Japanese-market car and US-market Impulse were regional names for the model, not separate concepts.
Isuzu’s Asso di Fiori exhibit describes the car’s combination of advanced styling, a futuristic cockpit and seating for four adults. The cockpit’s digital meter and satellite switches made the concept feel deliberately forward-looking; the four-person layout also gave it a practical aim beyond a two-seat show car.
What the concept specifications tell us
The following figures are for the displayed 1979 Asso di Fiori prototype, not a blanket specification for production Piazza or Impulse models. Isuzu notes that details of the exhibited vehicle differ from the pictures on the exhibit page.
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- Miniature reproduction of a 1:43 car in metal, screwed to a base, in a display box
- Developed by Ixo Premium Collection for Editions Hachette Japon
- JAPAN car collection
- Very high quality car manufactured by Minimax for Sparkmodel
- This item is not a toy, but a collector's vehicle for people aged 14 and over.
| Asso di Fiori prototype item | Exhibit specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | G180WA inline-four DOHC |
| Displacement | 1,817 cc |
| Maximum output | 95.6 kW (130 PS) at 6,400 rpm |
| Dimensions | 4,195 mm long, 1,620 mm wide, 1,278 mm high |
| Seating | Four |
How did the US Impulse change by model year?
The technical story is not simply that Isuzu added a turbo. The enthusiast-maintained Isuzu Performance spotter’s guide distinguishes the early US car, the turbo model, a special edition and the later Lotus-tuned suspension. Its account is useful for those market and model-year distinctions, but it is not a factory specification sheet.
| US model / period | What the guide says changed |
|---|---|
| 1983–84 Impulse | Naturally aspirated 2.0-liter SOHC engine. The guide says crash testing and DOT certification delayed the US introduction; it dates the Japanese-market Piazza to 1981. |
| 1985 Impulse Turbo | Different 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, new transmission and driveshaft, and five-link rear suspension. The turbo version was a broader mechanical change, not just an engine boost. |
| 1987 Impulse RS | Turbo-only special edition with stiffer suspension, according to the guide. |
| 1988 model-year Lotus Tuned Suspension | Softer springs, stiffer shocks or dampers, revised sway-bar sizes, and a redesigned rear sway bar and attachments. |
The sequence matters: the 1987 RS’s stiffer suspension and the Lotus-tuned setup introduced for the 1988 model year are distinct configurations. The Lotus tuning described here applies to the US Impulse account in the guide; it should not be generalized to every Piazza market or model year. The guide does not provide a reliable factory-backed engine output figure for the turbo claims, so a specific horsepower number would overstate what these sources establish.
Rank #2
- Plastic model kit-assembly required
- Glue and paint sold separately
- Manufacturer item #: 24341
Why is the Piazza/Impulse called a failure?
The case is strongest when limited to Britain. The Isuzu Piazza Turbo Owners Club’s history recounts a troubled UK reception, including contemporary criticism of twitchy handling, cluttered controls and a dated powertrain. That is the club’s account, not proof that every reviewer shared those judgments. It says later Lotus improvements did not secure the model’s future in Britain and that the importer had shifted attention toward the growing 4×4 market.
The club’s table of official UK imports totals 1,662 across the listed registration periods from 1985 to 1990. Its final period, 1989–90, records 38, and the club says the last car was registered on November 1, 1990. These are UK figures and support a picture of limited local sales; they do not establish global production or sales totals, or prove a single worldwide discontinuation cause.
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- Miniature reproduction of a 1:43 car in metal, screwed to a base, in a display box
- Developed by Ixo Premium Collection for Editions Hachette Japon
- JAPAN car collection
- Very high quality car manufactured by Minimax for Sparkmodel
- This item is not a toy, but a collector's vehicle for people aged 14 and over.
Where can you see the Piazza and its concept today?
ISUZU Plaza’s current official page lists both the Piazza and Asso di Fiori in its special exhibition. The page states that the museum parking lot closed permanently on April 1, 2026, and directs visitors to take the shuttle from Shonandai Station. Exhibit lineups and access arrangements can change, so check the museum’s current visitor information before travelling.
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Rank #4
- Miniature reproduction of a 1:43 car in metal, screwed to a base, in a display box
- Developed by Ixo Premium Collection for Editions Hachette Japon
- JAPAN car collection
- Very high quality car manufactured by Minimax for Sparkmodel
- This item is not a toy, but a collector's vehicle for people aged 14 and over.
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