Isuzu plans new SUV
Isuzu Utes remain on track for a reasonable year as ute sales, in particular four-wheel drive diesel utes, continue to climb.
While the next ute should arrive in 2012, an SUV from the same platform isn't yet confirmed for this market.
""But we're working very hard to convince them," says Isuzu ute managing director Hitoshi Kono. "There's no final official confirmation but now that we have sold 10,000 D-Max here (in Australia) we do have a bigger voice."
The new D-Max, and the SUV wagon to succeed the Isuzu MU-7, were "very close" to the production line but Japanese earthquakes and tsunami have disrupted those launch plans. While the vehicles are built in Thailand, transmissions and some electronic components come out of Japan.
And those disasters may also limit Australian stock for 2011 as the current D Max utes go into runout phase with 'value-added' packs, such as the X-Runner variant.
But Isuzu Ute remain on track for a reasonable year as ute sales, in particular four-wheel drive diesel utes, continue to climb. The company launched here in late 2008 on the heels of the GFC with 38 dealers and 1000 vehicles in stock. The first month just 25 were sold and Kono admits he was very anxious.
He is smiling now, having reached the 10,000 milestone, topping 600 sales in March, seeing first quarter results up 40 per cent on the same period last year and 80 dealers on board. More fleet business is helping drive Isuzu Ute's expansion although the top-of-the-tree LSU D-Max remains their best seller.
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