[speedmiester]

Thanks for the detailed pics.
Isuzu needs to up it's marketing budget to get the word of mouth going.
The Crew Cab pickup is priced well and compared to the other market offerings, it packs quite a lot of features. The inclusion of safety features is most welcome and the build quality is another major plus point.

The MU-7 will be a hit or miss, but since it is imported in limited numbers, it won't be a big bother for Isuzu.
Hope to see new dealerships across the country soon.

[tazmaan]

The Dual cab has Ac, ABS and two Airbags. Now thats a pick up to have ! The interiors look no non sense and soothing. For some one who is not serious about off road and like to travel places it makes sense.

Push in some good alloys, a fiber or leather lid for the rear loading area, fog lamps and GPS and the pickup will look awesome. Thumbs up!

Oh and I have heard isuzu diesel engines are pretty decent too.

[RSR]

Thanks a lot for the pictures, bblost. In the absence of any kind of marketing by Isuzu, not even a company website, your detailed pictures are the only ones we have!

Originally Posted by DicKy

Sorry not nitpicking.. but why is the instrumentation control stalks the wrong way here?
It's a Japanese pick up, made in Thailand, RHD. Then why is the control stalks LHD oriented?

Well spotted and a very valid observation! Yes, both Japan and Thailand prefer proper RHD controls for their vehicles, just like India. The only reason I can think of is that Isuzu imported a small batch of vehicles initially, and given the so-called "soft launch", brought in vehicles that were possibly meant for UK exports. Despite being an RHD market, the Brits prefer LHD controls on their cars, possibly due to the continental European influence. But then again, if these vehicles are from those meant for the UK, then they should have the instruments marked in miles primarily, with smaller markings in km, so it's still strange.

Maybe Isuzu just did not do any research into the local market before this launch. It's probably poor planning for a hurried test launch, the company must get this right with the customer vehicles it's going to import if they are serious about their India plans.

The SUV is quite expensive for what it offers, but the pick-ups are priced remarkably well indeed. The single cab variant (even if it is barebones for the commercial market) has the potential to give nightmares to the commercial pick-ups from Tata and Mahindra, which are quite crude and very unrefined. Isuzus are bound to be way more reliable as well, but the domestic pick-ups can be repaired by any roadside mechanic anywhere in the country. An increasing number of pick-ups and small trucks are being operated by owner-drivers, and they would any day prefer the refined Isuzus to the domestic trucks. This market has also been cleverly tapped by the Ashok Leyland-Nissan combo with their Dost trucks, which offer refinement and optional creature comforts that the competition can only dream of.

The double-cab's price is remarkable for the safety features on offer. The Xenon and Gateway hardly sell as lifestyle pick-ups, and the lack of 4wd on the Isuzu is also a drawback. Comfort levels also seem to be average, at least from the pictures. This can do well if marketed correctly and in the right locations. 4wd option should also help if brought in.

As for the MU-7, it's clear that this was the "inspiration" for the Foday Explorer that is being sold as the Force One here, and at the price it's sold, it may or may not sell well, but Isuzu don't lose much if it flops.

I guess they will bring in more products, mostly trucks and commercial vehicles once their new plant in Andhra Pradesh is ready. The replacement/next generation Tavera may turn out to be an Isuzu as well. More reason to worry for Tata as the competition, after hounding them in the car segment, is beginning to make serious inroads into their core domain of CVs as well.

This must be the weirdest product launch by any company in any consumer field. Not just the products, most would not be able to tell if Isuzu even exists in India as a company - strange marketing strategy indeed!

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by tazmaan

The Dual cab has Ac, ABS and two Airbags. Now thats a pick up to have ! The interiors look no non sense and soothing. For some one who is not serious about off road and like to travel places it makes sense.

Push in some good alloys, a fiber or leather lid for the rear loading area, fog lamps and GPS and the pickup will look awesome. Thumbs up!

Oh and I have heard isuzu diesel engines are pretty decent too.

Apparently, the crew cab doesn't come with an a/c or so we were told. It is one of the extras that can be ordered separately along with leather seats and alloy wheels (15 or 17 inches).

But then on the phone we were also told it doesn't come with ABS, which bblost disproved. Perhaps he can clarify that.

The interiors are so 80s. But I still prefer these no nonsense fittings to forced modernity like in the Duster.

[discoverwild]

The wheelbase looks so huge that a Maruti Alto could be driven in between them. The pricing is sweet for the crewcab, however notice that the rear seats are short on comfort with the back support being too erect - similar to the Xenon.

[akshay4587]

I actually like the MU-7,If they start producing it here,we can see a good price drop.Also i am not sure if i missed it,do these have a 4wd Option especially the crew cab?

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

I actually like the MU-7,If they start producing it here,we can see a good price drop.Also i am not sure if i missed it,do these have a 4wd Option especially the crew cab?

Not these. 4wd will come next year, is what they say on the phone.

[Ashley2]

How good are these SUV's in terms of reliability and durability. I have very bad impression on Isuzu after having seen their Commercial Vehicles especially buses. They are looking good but are very bad in terms of performance. Aggregate reliability, durability is far from normal and are prone to brekedown.
Wish that may not be the case with Passenger cars.

[Abhinav667]

Would love to see a Tata-Isuzu alliance for SUV's and Pick-up Trucks. Premier Motors would do too! Will help Isuzu bring the costs down and I guess even Tata can learn a thing or two about making well-built cars for cheap from the pick-up trucks.

Talking about the MU-7, those interiors look really spartan on a 28-lakh rupee SUV. I would be shocked if they manage to sell even one of these at that price.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by bblost

The D-Max:
135 BHP Engine.
Approximately 8.2 lakhs ex showroom.
Driver and Passenger airbags.
ABS.
There are a lot of add-ons available.
Full kit would cost around 2 to 2.5 lakhs.
These vehicles are made in Thailand for now.
Production should start in India very soon.
Factory is in Andhra Pradesh.
They have around 60 vehicles in the first batch. 3 bookings in less than a week. Deliveries commence in 3 months.

Looks like the D-Max in the pics is the absolute base version. Do you know if there are more upmarket versions? You mentioned kits, are they just for exterior kits or do they include interior upgrades too? I'm usually not much for taking kits and having the dealer install them. I would prefer D-Max in more trim levels coming straight from the factory.
But both these look MASSIVE! Thanks for the pics!

[deetjohn]

Thanks for sharing this bblost.

I really like the D-Max. Love the no-nonsense interior. Nice shade and looks great indeed. Why cant we get interiors like this on the home made products?

Will these be sold and serviced by HM?

[roy_libran]

Why no 4WD on the D-Max? As a lifestyle vehicle, it needs one desperately! Especially when, it is extremely successful in it's 4WD avatar, in other South-East Asian Markets.

Regarding Reliability, what I do know is that in the markets, this is successful in, the D-Max has a reputation for being highly reliable, and tough-as-nails.

[G_AmbyMad]

Just visited the Isuzu showroom in Hyderabad. On display are the D-Max and the MU-7.

Wasn't really interested in the MU-7 but had a look at it since I was there, is 23L fully loaded. Acres of space, all the creature comforts you could ask for and more, DVD screens, bluetooth, touch screen, leather interiors, all there.

The Max is what I spent my time on. 8.10 ex-showroom, without AC. Factory fitted AC and compressor will set you back an additional 60K and I was informed that AC, roll bars, alloys and tyre upgraded (16 inch), roll bar, tonneau cover etc would all cost another 2L.

As an incentive, book it for 51K right now and soon a D-Max will be sent to you for a week with a visit from the Japs to take your feedback.

The Max is available in white (with body colored bumpers from the next lot), black and a third color which will be known after 15th March.

Sorely disappointed with the Gurkha, really wishing that the Storme was cheaper and not really interested in the Duster anymore, this truly is a godsend!

Also, the 4x4 D-Max will be available next year and will cost 14L approx.

[wanderernomad]

6L costlier just for a 4X4? That sounds outlandish. You can drive the DMmax for a week and decide to cancel the booking, do you get a full refund? Plus will they ship outside Hyderabad too?

[proton]

Pay 51k booking amount, test DMax for a week, serve tea to market research-san, collect new white, double cab, DMax on March 15, pay balance and drive home.

If that is the understanding, I'll cancel my Duster booking and pony up the cash for the DMax. Anybody can confirm by visiting the showroom?