2009 Isuzu D-MAX – First Steer

A third of the way between Brisbane and the Gold Coast exists a place called Sirromet Winery, one of QLD’s better known producers of fine wine, and a careful play on words of the name of the owner, one T. E. Morris!

What an excellent location to launch a new brand and model into the Australian market.

- by Alborz Fallah

Isuzu Ute Australia is a Japanese company wholly owned by Mitsubishi Corporation (note – different to Mitsubishi Motors) and for many years Isuzu had been selling a ute, which till very recently was called Holden Rodeo.

The Rodeo is now called the Holden Colorado and will soon stop production in Thailand.

Instead Isuzu will soon export all the parts to GM plants in South America where the car will be assembled. So then, say hello to the new legitimate kid on the block, the Isuzu D-MAX.

The D-MAX is one of the world’s most popular utes and like nearly all other utes on the Australian market today, it’s assembled in Thailand, the world’s second biggest ute market.

Australia will receive 11 different D-MAX models, all powered by a 3.0-litre, turbodiesel engine with 120kW and 360Nm (333Nm for the automatic). Pricing starts from a very competitive $23,300 and goes all the way to $42,500 for the fully-kitted, automatic, 4WD LS-U crewcab ute.

Instead of focusing on petrol and diesel, Isuzu will instead take a “boutique” approach and concentrate completely on diesel to build a brand image focused on reliable diesel utes.

Despite being closely related to the Holden Colorado mechanically, the D-MAX is different enough to raise a few eyebrows. Public relations spokesman Richard Power said unlike the competition, which set a high recommended retail price then discounted heavily (hurting resale) Isuzu will enter at market rate.

Starting later this week, Australia will become the 83rd country Isuzu competes in and it’s a good market to be in. Last year 140,000 one-tonne utes were sold in all of Europe, which might seem like a lot, but for a market of 17 million new car sales a year, it’s not all that much.

During the same period Australians on the other hand, bought the same number of utes out of a pool of one-million new car sales.

Isuzu plans to sell 4000 D-MAX utes in Australia in 2009, with that number climbing to 6000 and then 8000 for the following two years.