[RSR]

Isuzu is in a good position to become the no. 1 in the 7/8 seater cab market if they develop a successor to the Panther/Tavera.

One of the primary reasons for the Innova's huge success (in both the personal & cab market) is the superb seating comfort, thanks to the seats (at least the first two rows) being placed at a good height from the floor, thereby providing excellent underthigh support. The Innova's seats are way more comfortable than those on the more expensive Fortuner, whose seats are placed lower relative to the floor.

The Qualis was the worst when it came to underthigh support. Its seats were hardly a few inches off the floor on all rows, and underthigh support was non-existent. The seating posture could be best described as "squatting" rather than "seating", with the knees always ending up higher than the hips - a recipe for disastrous comfort on long journeys. It's a good thing that the shockingly uncomfortable Qualis was completely replaced by the Innova with its excellent seating comfort.

The Tavera is not as bad in terms of seating comfort as the Qualis, but it is simply not as good as the Innova either.

If Isuzu are going to develop a replacement to the Panther/Tavera, they would do well to keep this in mind, and place the seats at a good height relative to the floor, in order to maximise comfort.

Toyota are sure to price the next generation Innova at a much higher price. This would leave a gaping space between the Tavera and the new Innova. If Isuzu can position a comfortable MPV in this space, they can become the darling of the 7/8 seater cab operators. Isuzu are known as more of a truck or commercial vehicle maker, so private customers may not buy their products in great numbers.

They can play to their core strengths of manufacturing ladder-frame vehicles and diesel engines to their hearts' content, and still take over the 7/8 seater cab market that may be vacated by the Innova in due course.