Isuzu, UD Trucks to co-develop heavy-duty model; model launch set in 2028

MANILA: Isuzu Motors Limited will produce a new heavy-duty truck with fellow Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturer UD Trucks. According to Isuzu, the co-developed model will be introduced in various Asian markets in 2028. 

The said development was shared by the Yokohama-headquartered truck brand as it shares its plan to shift its Japanese domestic production of heavy-duty truck models to the Ageo Plant owned and operated by UD Trucks. 

To facilitate this, Isuzu Motors Limited has shared its plan to invest a total of 40 billion Japanese yen, or around P14 billion. 

At the moment, the UD Trucks Ageo plant is smaller in scale than Isuzu’s Fujisawa Plant, which currently manufactures its lineup of heavy-duty models. Specifically, the Ageo Plant only has 2,084 employees, whereas the Isuzu Fujisawa Plant is manned by a 6,004-strong workforce. 

We can foresee, however, that once Isuzu’s investments are in place, Ageo Plant will be upscaled significantly. Isuzu, after all, plans to turn the UD Trucks-owned location into its flagship production site for heavy-duty trucks.

As for the Fujisawa Plant, the Japanese manufacturer will transform it to enable production of light and medium-duty trucks. 

Other stories: Geely Auto confirms EX2 arrival in PH  Will the 6th-gen Toyota RAV4 PH launch coincide with Australia’s? VinFast structures auto portfolio; unveils 2 new ultra-luxe models

 

Why the shake-up in production facilities?

Isuzu believes that consolidating its heavy-duty truck production will help it attain more than 850,000 units in new vehicle sales by fiscal year 2030. This is one of its major goals that was outlined by the “Isuzu Transformation - Growth to 2030” plan. 

Under the same plan, the company expects revenues to exceed 5 trillion Japanese yen (P1.8 billion) in the same time frame. The move will also facilitate a more robust, capable supply chain capable of supporting 1 million truck units. 

Additionally, the consolidation of Japanese-based Isuzu production facilities are said to improve the plant’s respective cost-effectiveness, quality, and supply stability. 

These advantages, as a whole, Isuzu says, will make its trucks more competitive in the global market.

Also read:

Isuzu PH keeps truck sales supremacy for 26 years

Isuzu recalls F-Series trucks over ‘damaged’ power steering pump O-ring seals in Australia

Isuzu PH expands PCL fleet with N-, F-Series trucks

Connect with us through our various social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZigWheelsPhilippines

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zigwheelsph/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zigwheels

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZigWheelsPhilippines/