PETALING JAYA: Demand for the Isuzu D-Max rose in the first six months of 2016, bucking the downward trend of the overall automotive market in general and the pick-up truck segment in particular that saw a contraction of 15 percent across the board.
Sales of Isuzu D-Max rose to 3,069 units, recording a 10.6 percent increase over the corresponding period in 2015 while its market share gained 3.4 percent to command a 14.7 percent market share in its pick-up truck segment.
In announcing the results, Isuzu Malaysia executive director Hajime Machimura said the high demand remained consistent with previous market trends when consumer sentiment was at its ebb.
“Isuzu vehicles continue to convincingly impact users by providing genuine solutions of good value, dependability and excellent driving character, bringing welcome relief at times when motoring has become a necessary burden,” said Machimura.
“By focusing the appeal of these strong characteristics of Isuzu pick-up trucks, we have been able to show that the general rise in the cost of living need not impact the quality of life if you spend less on transportation running costs,” added Machimura.
The Isuzu D-Max has been proven to be one of the toughest and most fuel efficient pick-up trucks in the market, having traversed Sabah’s interior numerous times over the years in the Borneo Safari off-road challenge.
Isuzu Malaysia said it is confident that its sales performance this year could better the 6,042-unit record achieved in 2014 despite the downward forecast by the Malaysian Automotive Association.
