The local arm of the Japanese car brand Isuzu is transferring its assembly of its powerful workhorse D-MAX to Thailand due to economies of scale from large demand and manufacturing capacity.
As we all know, Isuzu D-MAX is complete knock down (CKD) pickup truck. Meaning, the production of D-MAX undergoes assembly into a finished products. So how does this thing work? In layman’s term, it’s like a LEGO that is being assembled and completed until it became a whole new D-MAX.
We were surprised with the announcement of Isuzu knowing that D-MAX are the one of those early vehicles that are assembled-locally together with their best-selling Crosswind AUV (which already stop production in 2017) and light-to heavy-duty trucks and buses.
SHIFTING ON COMMERCIAL VEHICLE (CV) MARKET
According to Truck Manufacturers’ Association (TMA) and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) year-end sales report, Isuzu emerged as the top-selling brand in the light duty truck (Category 3) segment, with total unit sales of 3,965 from January to December 2018, capturing 55.5-percent of the market share in that category.
Moreover, the brand also topped the overall Category 3, 4 (medium duty and buses) and 5 (heavy duty trucks) segments in the yearend 2018 sales report, extending its dominant streak to 19 consecutive years.
“For decades now, Isuzu has been known globally for its durable and dependable trucks that can withstand any challenges in transport operations. And with our collaboration with local body builders, our trucks have also been creatively engineered and designed to be suitable for whatever purposes our customers demand. Equally important is the aftersales support we provide to our clients along with every purchase. This is the Isuzu Advantage,” said Hajime Koso, President of Isuzu Philippines Corporation.