WHAT VAN? AWARDS - WINNER'S PROFILE: D-Max at the double

Date: Friday, June 28, 2019 | Author: James Dallas

A deal between Isuzu and the RAC has been proposed

(Continued from page 1) At the time of its introduction questions were asked about whether the smaller engine could handle the sort of heavy-duty assignments for which the D-Max is renowned. Brown admits there were doubters, but claims Isuzu was ahead of the curve in that competitors are now downsizing their engines too.

At launch the manufacturer claimed development simulations showed 1.9 litres to be the optimum size to blend efficiency and also the torque necessary for the D-Max to retain its core capabilities. All demonstrators were fitted with tow bars to allow dealers to show off the truck’s workhorse credentials.

More appealing to punters resistant to change was the fact that the 1.9 D-Max was the only pick-up on the market not requiring the addition of AdBlue to meet the Euro6 emissions regulation.

“It will see through all the latest legislation,” Brown says of the drivetrain, before adding: “The customers who have bought it love it – it tows better, it’s more efficient, and quieter and more refined.”

But he acknowledges traditional customers, such as farmers, can be set in their ways and says there are those “who won’t even venture into a showroom to try it”.

Nevertheless, he is confident the tide is turning in favour of the downsized engine: “We’ve sold nearly 9,000 1.9s since 2017. Slowly but surely the negative comments are going away.”

Isuzu sold 4,888 D-Max models last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders (SMMT), which made it the UK’s fifth biggest-selling pick-up, but the total was more than 2,000 units short of the fourth bestseller, the Toyota Hilux, which came in behind the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi L200 and Nissan Navara. The top four all do more business with large fleets and this is an area of the market where Brown feels Isuzu can expand as well as continuing to focus on its more traditional bases of small and medium-sized businesses.

“You see national brands driving Isuzus now,” he says.

He does not expect the D-Max to overtake the Hilux in the near future but reveals Isuzu has set a target of reaching 10,000 sales by 2025. This figure has not been “plucked out of the air” but is based on putting various initiatives into action to grow large fleet volume. The aim is for 7,000 sales to go to retail customers and 3,000 to fleet. At present, Brown says, the split is 80/20%.

The importer has invested £1m in a new facility at the port of Sheerness, the point of entry for D-Max models to the UK, where livery and racking for fleet orders can be carried out as soon as the vehicles come off the boat.

Brown describes Isuzu as the odd one out in a pick-up sector that is dominated by flagship trim levels, such as Ford’s Ranger Wildtrak and Nissan’s Navara Tekna. D-Max sales are spread fairly evenly over the five specifications, with the mid-range Yukon, which sits below the Blade and Utah, the most popular.

In terms of price and in trading mainly to SMEs, the Korean brand Ssangyong, which is working to establish its Musso in the market, could be viewed as a competitor to Isuzu – the double-cab Musso Rebel and D-Max Yukon are both priced at around the £22,000 mark, for example – but Brown denies this is the case, pointing out the Musso is based on an SUV (the Ssangyong Rexton), so is “compromised” as a workhorse pick-up.

Instead he names the Hilux as being “within our sights”, while admitting Ford, Nissan and Mitsubishi are “miles above us” in volume terms.

Brown says Fiat’s withdrawal of its Fullback shows how competitive the market is and how difficult it is to break into for those not well established or adorned with a premium badge, such as the Mercedes X-Class.

Isuzu has 103 retail outlets in the UK and is aiming for 110, although there will be some churn before it reaches this number, says Brown.

“In January we told the dealers they need to pick up the pace,” he says.

He explains the brand does not take a very specific “pin in the map” approach to choosing locations but instead looks at general areas. Most retailers are owner/driver businesses selling cars, commercial vehicles or agricultural equipment, or they could even be used car dealers who don’t want to take on “loads of cost” or have “a manufacturer hitting [them] with a big stick. “We will increase the level of interest in the franchise, but the focus remains on the people not the facilities,” he concludes.

SHOWTIME

Xtr D -max To Go With Box Out
Isuzu unveiled a prototype version of the new D-Max XTR at the CV Show, which is available to pre-order now with prices starting at £33,999, excluding VAT. Set to sit between the flagship Blade and Arctic Trucks lines in the range, features include a specially engineered Pedders suspension and brake system, a body kit, side steps, 17in alloy wheels and 32in tyres. Also revealed was the AT35 Sakir, the latest in the line of extreme Arctic Trucks vehicles, which is set to be limited to just 10 examples.

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