Isuzu is present in India as SML-Isuzu, a company which manufactures trucks and buses.
The recent spotting of the Isuzu MU-7 SUV testing on Pune roads suggests that the Japanese commercial and passenger vehicle manufacturer is considering a foray into the competitive Indian personal vehicle market very shortly.
Owners of HM Ambassador know Isuzu as a maker of refined diesel engines.
The Isuzu MU-7 is a full size seven seater SUV which is based on the Isuzu D-Max pick up, a popular goods carrier in Thailand. The MU-7 was introduced there in 2004 and received a facelift in 2008.
Sales of the SUV is limited to South East Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia. Isuzu is trying to do something similar to the Force One SUV with their MU-7 here in India. The vehicle can come into India in the form of CKD and built at their Indian facility in Punjab which they share with Swaraj Mazda Limited (SML).
The MU-7 is powered by a four cylinder 3.0 litre diesel engine which belts out 120 bhp of power and 333 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to five speed manual and automatic transmissions. However, Isuzu is likely to bring only the manual version to India. The car is available in 4x2 and 4x4 versions.
The SUV is well equipped and comes with a touch screen multimedia system, reverse parking camera and ORVMs with blind spot assistance.
The Isuzu MU-7 is expected to be priced in the vicinity of the Force One and Mahindra XUV500. Isuzu might make use of their existing commercial vehicle dealer network to sell and service the SUV.
