Isuzu will be launching its third product the D-Max Space-Cab by June in India. Showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo in February, the D-Max Space Cab is targeted towards the fast emerging owner-driven pickup truck segment, who wants to use the vehicle as a pickup truck as well as a multi-utility vehicle. India is one of the largest growing commercial vehicle markets and Isuzu wants to capture a fair share of the pie.
The D-Max Space Cab features a bigger cabin with 1.5-feet of extra space at the back of the seats compared to the single-cab version of the D-Max. The D-Max Space Cab is powered by a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo diesel engine capable of producing 136 PS of power at 3600 RPM and 294 Nm of torque between 1800 – 3200 RPM, paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. Isuzu will be bringing the D-Max Space Cab as a completely knocked unit (CKD) from Thailand and will be assembled at the Hindustan Motors car plant in Chennai, which has a manufacturing capacity of 5000 units per annum.
Isuzu is also setting up a manufacturing facility in the Sri City Industrial park in Andhra Pradesh with a Rs. 3000 crore investment. The initial capacity will be limited to 50,000 units from this plant which will be operational by 2016 and can be expanded to 1.20 lakh units as per the demand. The company plans to make India an export hub and will cater to domestic and international demand from the new plant.
Currently, the company retails the D-Max Single-Cab version in two variants, priced at Rs. 6.60 lakhs (ex-showroom, Chennai), while the premium MU-7 SUV is priced between Rs. 24 – 25.40 lakh range (ex-showroom, Chennai). Expect the D-Max Space-Cab to be priced between Rs. 7.50 – 8.50 lakh range, when launched in the coming months. The Space-Cab version will be competing against the Tata Xenon pickup as well as the Mahindra Genio in its segment. Isuzu has been expanding its base in the south with opening new dealerships and will soon venture out to the north as well, establishing a pan India sales and service network.
