Isuzu firms up UD partnership

After buying UD Trucks two years ago, Isuzu confirmed the amalgamation at the Japan Mobility Show by sharing its stand with the company and displaying its wares.

Sitting in pride of place alongside some of Isuzu’s innovative models and concepts was a UD Quon GW530 and a Quester GWE460.

It’s no secret that the new Isuzu Giga will be a UD product and Isuzu Australia Ltd (IAL) is keen to get its hands on the new trucks to bolster its armoury in the heavy-duty sector.

In Australia, Isuzu is already number one in the light-duty and medium-duty markets, and is currently running third to Kenworth and Volvo in heavy-duty – and that’s without a prime mover.

IAL boss Andrew Harbison has left the Australian truck media in no doubt that he’d like to see the 13-litre 530hp UD Quon, as displayed at the Show, rebadged as an Isuzu. “Certainly, we’d like to see that with our badges on it,” he said at a media conference before the Show.

Whether UD and Isuzu would agree to that remains to be seen, but it would certainly give Isuzu a major leg up in our heavy-duty market. A 530hp offering would fit right in against Volvo’s 540, Kenworth’s 550 and the likes of Scania, Mercedes-Benz and DAF.

Mr Harbison even hinted that he’d be disappointed – even reticent – to go to market without it.

If Isuzu could get a quality high-performance prime mover like the 13-litre Quon and have it rebadged as an Isuzu Giga, the juicy prospect of being the market leader in all three categories, light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty, would not be out of the question.

Clearly, Volvo Group Australia (VGA), the current distributor of UD in this country, will be actively campaigning against Isuzu getting the 13-litre as its hero truck, but as the new owner of UD, Isuzu’s top brass could go into bat for IAL.

It’ll be very interesting to see what happens.