Isuzu Ute racks up a decade in Oz

Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) is commemorating 10 years in the Australian market this month.

The importer set up shop in Queensland back in October 2008, distributing the Isuzu D-MAX pick-up range in the local market. Previously, the D-MAX had been sold here as the Holden Rodeo and subsequently as the Holden Colorado.

From its earliest beginnings the brand's sales have grown rapidly. In 2009, its first full year of operation, Isuzu Ute finished with just 3566 sales. In contrast, the importer sold 25,804 units of the D-MAX and MU-X in 2017. Plans are in place for annual sales in Australia of 30,000 units by the end of 2020.

According to the importer, over 140,000 light commercial vehicles have been sold here under the Isuzu Ute brand. Of those sales, over 107,000 are for the D-MAX model and the balance of 32,752 are MU-X sales. The importer adopted the name Isuzu Ute Australia to distinguish the company from the truck distributor of the same name. Isuzu Ute is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, which has enjoyed a long association with Isuzu Motors.

Initially limited to 38 dealers, the IUA network is now 140-strong and VFACTS rates it the 13th best selling brand in Australia. According to IUA, Australia is the largest export market for the Thailand-based manufacturer.

"The highlights have been many, and we continue to be humbled by the Australian response to our products," said IUA Managing Director, Mr. Hiro Kuramoto.

"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."

During the years since the company's launch here it has introduced the MU-X (2013) and rolled out the 'Go your own way' marketing campaign and the I-Venture Club (both in 2015). The latter is a means of reaching out to customers, helping them learn the finer points of off-road driving.

"Customer satisfaction is a defining factor in our ongoing success," said Kuramoto, "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."