With
an endeavour to complete at least 1000 km on a full tank of diesel fuel, the Isuzu
Max Run Challenge, the three-day drive organised by Isuzu Motors India Private
Limited between Vijayawada and Mumbai successfully culminated in Mumbai on
September 25, 2014. Starting from Vijayawada, three Isuzu D-Max pick-up trucks
drove though Hyderabad, Solapur and Pune before reaching Mumbai, thus covering
the distance of more than 1000 km in one full tank.
The
Isuzu D-MAX achieved an average of 18.3 km per litre under real world
conditions that included hilly terrains, uneven and pot holed roads and waterlogged
stretches. The vehicles faced some inclement weather too on its way, with
torrential rains enroute adding on to the challenges of the weather during the
drive. The vehicles were equipped with the GPS Telemetry System in order to
facilitate the exact kilometers travelled and track the drive in real time.
In
Mumbai, the vehicles were welcomed by Takashi Kikuchi, President & Managing
Director and Shigeru Wakabayashi, Dy MD, Isuzu Motors India. Kikuchi noted that
the Isuzu Max Run Challenge is a global initiative that has been successfully
undertaken in Australia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and the Middle East. “World
over the Isuzu D-Max is known for its excellent fuel efficiency, power,
“The
three day drive has not only facilitated in demonstrating the USP of the
vehicle, which is fuel efficiency and vehicle performance but has also
established the fact that with correct driving technique, anyone can get the
best out of an Isuzu. Isuzu has conducted fuel efficiency training in different
countries and we would like to extend this for the Indian customers too,” he
added.
In
India, the pickup truck segment is one of the largest and fastest growing
segments in Commercial Vehicles (CV), accounting for 35pc of the total CV
market. Maharashtra is the biggest pickup truck market in India and an integral
part of Isuzu’s growth strategy. On the first day, the drive was flagged off by
Toru Kishimoto, Vice President, Isuzu Motors India at Vijayawada. Three
professional drivers drove through the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telengana,
Karnataka and Maharashtra covering diverse terrain of India from the east coast
to the west coast.
The
Isuzu D-Max range comprises three models with two cabin options and two deck
options. The Isuzu D-Max Single cab is available in flat deck and the Isuzu D-Max
Space Cab is available in both flat deck and arched deck variants. The vehicles
are powered by a 2499cc, 4-cylinder intercooled turbocharged diesel engine,
mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine pumps out 134 hp @ 3600
rpm and 294 Nm torque @ 1800-3200 rpm range, which enables it to carry a
payload of 1.2 ton effortlessly. It has a 76 litre fuel tank.
At
present, Isuzu has a contract manufacturing agreement with Hindustan Motors
(HML) under which HML is contract assembling CKD kits of Isuzu’s sports utility
vehicle MU-7 and pick-up truck D-Max, at its Thiruvallur, Chennai plant. Isuzu
began civil works on its proposed manufacturing plant site in SriCity, TADA,
Chitoor, AP. The company had acquired 107 Acres of land in 2013 after signing an
MoU with the Andhra Pradesh State Government in order to start automobile
manufacturing operation in India. This new facility is likely to commence
commercial operations by early 2016, with the initial production capacity at
50,000 units/ year. Isuzu will scale up the production capacity to 120,000
units/ year, with the accumulated investment of Rs. 3,000 Crore, and is
expected to generate 2000~3000 jobs. Isuzu Motors India plans to achieve 100%
percent localization within three years of commencing production in 2016. This was
stated in a press release issued by Isuzu Motors India.
Isuzu D-Max pickup trucks during their
journey through Maharashtra