Isuzu Motors India Private Limited, the wholly owned subsidiary of the global diesel engine leader Isuzu Motors, today announced the start of local production of its sports utility vehicle MU-7. The Managing Director of Isuzu Motors India Takashi Kikuchi said, the BS 4 compliant vehicle rolled out of assembly line of Hindustan Motors in Thiruvallur, about 40 km south of Chennai. The ex-showroom price of BS 4 model is Rs 22.3 lakh and BS 3 is Rs 22 lakh.
It may be recalled that Isuzu Motors India has a contract manufacturing agreement with Hindustan Motors to assemble CKD kits of MU-7 and pick-up truck D-Max. Isuzu Motors India’s greenfield facility is coming in Sricity, in Andhra Pradesh, near Tamil Nadu border at an investment of Rs 3,000 crore. The new plant will be up and running by 2016 with an initial installed capacity of 60,000 units per year. In addition to selling in the domestic market, the company will look at exports. The capacity will be doubled in the next couple of years. The new plant will make light commercial vehicles also in addition to the new models that the company is planning in the future. However, manufacturing of MU-7 will continue at Hindustan Motors’ plant, Kikuchi said.
As part of the launch, the company also announced a unique service initiative ‘Isuzu Insight’ to its customers. Shigeru Wakabayashi, Executive Vice President and Deputy MD of the company, said the unique feature will provide insights of individual’s driving habits and style. The driving habit is measured on five parameters such as speed, idling, engine speed, braking and acceleration. The system will also suggest ways and means to improve fuel efficiency besides, vehicle performance.
Currently the company has two dealers in Coimbatore and Hyderabad. Before the end of this fiscal, it will have dealerships in Tirupathi, Vizag, Chennai, Madurai, Kochi and Bangalore. It hopes to beef up its network to reach 60 outlets by the end of 2016, he added.
Story: T Murrali
