Isuzu sees good demand for new pick-up

ISUZU Malaysia Sdn Bhd (IMSB) expects a strong demand for its latest 3-litre pick-up truck, the Isuzu D-Max, in east Malaysia. 

Chief executive officer Kyoya Kondo said he was confident the model will be well-received in east Malaysia as in other parts of the world, including Thailand, the Philippines, Britain and the Middle East. 

“We are targeting to sell at least 1,000 units of the Isuzu D-Max in Sabah and Sarawak by the year-end. This represents about 11% market share of the 2005 forecast sale of 9,000 pick-up trucks for east Malaysia,” he said during the official launch of the pick-up truck in Kuching yesterday. 

Based on a survey by the company, the pickup truck is widely used for private and business purposes in east Malaysia. 

“Unlike the old days, in terms of development, now you can feel that the product itself has very much improved and is more comfortable like passenger cars,” Kondo said. 

He claimed the Isuzu D-Max was the only model with 3-litre direct injection diesel turbo intercooler engine available in the country's pick-up truck market. 

He said it was also the first in its category to provide a simple push button for switching between 2WD (two-wheel drive) and 4WD while driving. 

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal admiring the new D-Max vehicle at the launch

Other safety features include a collapsible steering column, front-occupant dual airbags, antilock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake-force distribution. 

Kondo said that since it was launched last month, about 200 units of the Isuzu D-Max have been booked nationwide. 

The Isuzu D-Max comes in three variants - the 4x2 automatic, the 4x4 manual and automatic transmission.  

Its on-the-road price is from RM90,000 to RM97,000 in east Malaysia. – Bernama