Isuzu Ute Australia celebrates major milestone

OCTOBER 2018 marks 10 years since Isuzu UTE Australia burst onto the one-tonne ute market with its 3.0-litre turbo-diesel-powered D-Max, and the Japanese brand has experienced substantial growth since it landed on local soil.

Isuzu’s local success is evidenced by the company enjoying nine consecutive years of double-digit growth (up until the end of 2017), making Australia Thailand’s biggest export market for Isuzu vehicles. In 2008, only 273 sales were recorded (October-December), but by 2013 sales exceeded 10,000 units.

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IUA cracked 100,000 sales in April 2017, and most recent records indicate the brand has sold more than 140,000 vehicles (107,332 D-Max; 32,752 MU-X) since Isuzu set-up shop back in 2008. In tandem with this, Isuzu’s dealer network has shot from 38 to more than 140 across Australia.

“There are too many significant achievements to mention” stated IUA Managing Director, Mr. Hiro Kuramoto. “The highlights have been many, and we continue to be humbled by the Australian response to our products. Since launch, our products have been endorsed with a number of awards, and the positive feedback from customers continues to confirm that we deliver honest, reliable products.”

Two highlights of IUA’s brief Australian history include the launch of the “new-gen” D-Max back in 2012, and the arrival of the seven-seat MU-X in 2013, which is now the best-selling ute-based SUV in Australia. IUA also launched the I-Venture Club in 2015, which gives Isuzu owners the opportunity to take their vehicles to off-road courses – or iconic off-road destinations – under the guidance of experienced 4x4ers.

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“Customer satisfaction is a defining factor in our ongoing success,” Mr Kuramoto said, “which combined with the quality of our product and our after-sales care package defines the positive customer experience that people expect when purchasing a vehicle.

“I believe that if we can continue to respond to customer feedback and deliver on our promises, our brand will continue to grow from strength to strength.”

IUA is working hard to ensure the momentum it has experienced since its local inception continues into the future, with the brand aiming to notch up 10 years of double-digit growth. A goal of 30,000 annual sales by 2020 has been set.