Isuzu

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Isuzu shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Isuzu offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Isuzu at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Isuzu? Wrong! If the Isuzu is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Isuzu then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Isuzu? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Isuzu and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Isuzu wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Isuzu then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Isuzu site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Isuzu, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Isuzu, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox_Company | company_name = Isuzu Motors Ltd. ''or'' Isuzu Jidōsha Kabushiki-gaisha| company_logo = ]| company_type = [Public company {{tyo|7202-->| company_slogan = | foundation = April, 1937| location = {{flagicon|JPN--> [Tokyo, [Japan| num_employees = |7,371 industry = [Manufacturing| products = [Commercial vehicles, [Diesel engines| homepage = http://www.isuzu.com/ www.isuzu.com| -->

This article is about a truck manufacturer. For the fictional character, see Isuzu Sohma.

, () is a Japanese commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturer corporation, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu was the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, Kanagawa, as well as in the prefectures Tochigi and Hokkaidō. Isuzu is famous for producing commercial vehicles and diesel engines - it produced 16 million diesel engines in 2003 alone, which can be found in vehicles all over the world.

In most of Asia, Africa, and Europe, Isuzu is mostly known for trucks of all sizes, after Isuzu small automobile sales drastically plummeted and Isuzu had to drop all sales of sedans and compact cars in the late 1990's. In the United States, Isuzu is mostly known for manufacturing rebadged models of Chevrolet's Chevrolet Colorado as the Isuzu i-290 and the Quad Cab i-370, and also GMC's GMC Envoy has been rebadged as the Isuzu Ascender. These are currently the only compact automobile models marketed in the United States. Isuzu as a corporation has always been primarily a manufacturer of small to medium compact automobiles and commercial trucks of sizes medium duty and larger, but markets around the world show different needs. Isuzu has a contract with Budget Truck Rental to manufacture their rental trucks. This contract is also shared with Ford Motor Company, GMC (General Motors division), and Navistar International.

On November 7, 2006, Toyota acquired 5.9% of Isuzu, making them the third largest shareholder behind ITOCHU and Mitsubishi Corporation.

History

1916 - Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd. and Tokyo Gas and Electric Industrial Co. cooperatively plan to build automobiles.
1918 - A technical cooperation with Wolseley Motor Company (United Kingdom) is initiated. In 1922 the first Wolseley model A-9 car is domestically produced. The CP truck follows two years later.
1933 - Ishikawajima Automotive Works merges with DAT Automobile Manufacturing and changes its name to Automobile Industries Co., Ltd.
1934 - A meeting with the Ministry of Trade and Industry results in the renaming of the truck to Isuzu, after the Isuzu River.
1949 - Isuzu is adopted as company name.
1953 - With technical assistance of Rootes (UK) the Hillman Minx passenger car is produced.
1971 - A capital agreement with General Motors Corporation is signed.
1972 - The Chevrolet LUV becomes the first Isuzu-built vehicle to be sold in the United States. A decade later, it is replaced by a domestic vehicle, the Chevrolet S-10.
1973 - Isuzu introduces the Gemini, which is co-produced with General Motors.
1981 - Isuzu-branded consumer and commercial vehicles are successfully exported to the United States. The Isuzu Pup is the first model sold to consumers.
1987 - The joint venture Subaru Isuzu Automotive Inc. (SIA) is established together with Fuji Heavy Industries, owner of Subaru.
1993 - Isuzu stops exporting the Stylus, its last car in America, after ending the Impulse the year before.
1996 - Isuzu's sales peak in the United States. Joe Isuzu is popular pitchman with implausible claims, was also hired for the Axiom.
1998 - General Motors Corporation and Isuzu form DMAX, a joint venture to produce diesel engines.
1999 - GM raises its stake in Isuzu to 49%, effectively gaining control of the company.
2001 - Isuzu sales begin to slide as the Isuzu Rodeo and Isuzu Trooper age. Movie Spy kids features Isuzu Axiom and Trooper.
2002 - Subaru buys Isuzu's share of US plant. Subaru Isuzu Automotive becomes Subaru of Indiana Automotive.
August 14, 2002 - General Motors reduces its 49% share in Isuzu to 12% as part of a comprehensive recapitalization of Isuzu. GM also takes full control of DMAX and Isuzu Motors Polska, with Isuzu losing not just the factories but also ownership of all engine designs. The Trooper is dropped from the North American lineup.
2003 - Isuzu sales were eliminated from the Canadian market. Canadian dealers mostly selling Saturn Corporation and Saab cars drop Isuzu cars from the lineup.
July 2004 - Production of the Rodeo and Isuzu Axiom stopped. Isuzu sales in North America slow, with just 27,188 vehicles sold in all of 2004, with the cancelled Rodeo and Axiom making up 71% of that total.
2005 - Isuzu dealers in the United States have only one model, the Isuzu Ascender SUV, with the 2006 Isuzu i-Series bringing that to two. At this point, Isuzu in the United States is primarily a distributor of medium duty trucks such as the NPR series. These vehicles are sourced both from Japan and U.S. plants in Janesville, WI and Flint, MI. The Ascender is a badge engineering GM vehicle with mostly cosmetic differences from the GMC Envoy/Chevrolet TrailBlazer/Buick Rainier/and final version of the Oldsmobile Bravada. The i-series trucks are rebadged versions of the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickup trucks. Those trucks were jointly designed by GM's North American operations, GM do Brasil, and Isuzu; with Isuzu providing the chassis and GM providing the drivetrain. Isuzu has 290 dealers in the U.S. as of August 2006, and sells an average of just two Ascenders per dealer per month. Plans to introduce a new Thai-built Sport utility vehicle, expected to be added for 2007, are shelved; American Isuzu explains that a new SUV would be too risky and proceeds with the launch of the i-series trucks. Rumors of Isuzu's withdrawal from the U.S. market are rampant. Despite extremely low sales figures of 12,177 passenger vehicles for 2005 (with leftover Axiom and Rodeos making up 30% of this), Isuzu North America announces its first profit-making in years, mainly due to restructuring cuts and continuing robust sales of commercial trucks.
2006 - Production of the 7-passenger Ascender ends in February with the closure of GM's Oklahoma City Assembly plant, leaving Isuzu with the 5-passenger Ascender, built in Moraine, Ohio, and the low-selling i-Series as its only retail products. The company sold just 1,504 vehicles in North America in the first two months of 2006. GM sells its remaining shares in Isuzu, but claims the companies will continue their current relationship. There is no word as of April 12, 2006 on the effect this will have on DMAX USA operations.
June 2006 - Isuzu and GM Agree to establish Joint Venture called "LCV Platform Engineering Corporation (LPEC)" to develop a new pickup. Isuzu says it will use it's engineering expertise to develop the pickup and GM will develop derivatives based on the integrated platform.
November 2006 - Toyota purchases 5.9% of Isuzu and the two companies agree to study possible business collaboration focusing on the areas of R&D and production of diesel engines, related emissions-control, and other environmental technologies.
January 2007 - Isuzu, along with General Motors Companies, release an update to the LCV range, with a 3.0 litre common rail diesel motor, with far more torque and power to its predessessor

Important car, bus and light truck models motorway operated by Citibus (New Zealand) Passenger vehicle & SUVs

1963–1973, Isuzu Bellett sedan (PR20) and 2 door GT (PR90 & PR91)
1967-1983, Isuzu Florian
1968-1981, Isuzu 117 Coupe
1974–2000, Isuzu Gemini/Isuzu I-Mark/Isuzu Stylus sedan
1983–1992, Isuzu Piazza/Isuzu Impulse/Geo Storm hatchback
1983–2002, Isuzu Aska sedan
1983–2002, Isuzu Trooper large Luxury SUV
1983–1995, Isuzu Pick Up TF models Real Japan built from 1987-1991, 1991-1995 were US Built
1989-1994, Isuzu Amigo A compact SUV (First generation)
1991–2004, Isuzu Rodeo a small SUV
1991-present, Isuzu Panther, a van sold in Indonesia, sold as the Isuzu Hi-Lander / Crosswind in the Philippines, also sold throughout the ASEAN, and in India as the Chevrolet Tavera
1996-1999, Isuzu Oasis minivan, a rebadged Honda Odyssey
1996–2000, Isuzu Hombre pickup truck, a rebadged Chevrolet S10
1998-2003, Isuzu Amigo A compact SUV (Second generation)
1999–2001, Isuzu VehiCROSS halo car Sport utility vehicle
2001–2004, Isuzu Axiom midsize SUV
2002–present, Isuzu Ascender large SUV
2002-present, Isuzu D-Max Pickup Truck, a top selling diesel sold in the majority of Isuzu markets (excluding North America)
2006–present, Isuzu i-Series pickup truck (a product of the co-developed D-Max platform Isuzu sells overseas)

Commercial vehicles

Isuzu Elf - Light Duty Truck (N-Series)
Isuzu Forward - Medium Duty Truck (F-Series)
Isuzu Giga - Heavy Duty Truck (C-Series, E-Series)
Isuzu Gala - Heavy Duty Bus
Isuzu Gala Mio - Medium Duty Bus
Isuzu Erga - Low Deck Heavy Duty Bus
Isuzu Erga-J - Heavy Duty Bus
Isuzu Erga Mio - Low Deck Medium Duty Bus
Isuzu Journey - Light Duty Bus
Isuzu Journey-J - Medium Duty Bus
Isuzu H-Series - Heavy Duty Truck in United States only (Rebadged GMC Topkick and Chevrolet Kodiak)