Chennai: Isuzu Motors India launched the new generation mu-X SUV in Chennai recently and on the occasion, EVP and deputy managing director, Ken Takashima, interacted with News Today about the next set of actions for the brand and also the about the prospects of the newly launched car.
The brand’s PR VP Capt J Shankar Srinivas and former proteas cricketer Jonty Rhodes were also present on the occasion.
Excerpts from the interaction:
Q: Will Isuzu continue to be a niche player in India, only offering premium SUVs and pickups?
A: Yes, this is our strategy for India as of now. Also, we are building our brand with a good pace and trying to be different from the rest of the manufacturers. Though the general sentiment of the Indians aren’t about us, our fan base is slowly increasing.
Q: How has your growth been so far, considering you are now present for more than six years?
A: It has been overwhelming. In fact, we are doubling our sales each fiscal. In fiscal 2016-17, we registered around 2,500-unit overall sales. In fiscal 2017-18, we registered around 5,000-units. In the present fiscal, we are aiming 50 per cent growth with dealership increase also in the process.
Q: Are there any plans of venturing into newer segments like your rivals?
A: Currently, we have four products, D-Max, D-Max S-Cab in the commercial vehicle segment, D-Max V-Cross pickup truck and the now-launched mu-X in the passenger vehicle segment. In fact, this is our lineup worldwide. All these products are built on the same platform. So, if at all, we launch any new products in the future, it will be based on this platform and won’t be an entirely new segment. In fact, this segment is growing and our S-Cab has garnered good response in the last six months. We will also be offering customisation options in this platform for customers based on requests.
Q: You have only two products in the passenger vehicle segment of which the V-Cross being a pickup truck. Will a pickup workout in India like the US?
A: Yes, indeed. The V-Cross is setting a new culture in the country. When we first introduced the model, the initial customers loved the product so much that their pictures and adventures became our promotional content. Even women, especially in North India, have shown interest in the V-Cross for adventure.
Q: In the past you were known for supplying diesel engines to other manufacturers, are there any plans like that?
A: We are manufacturing only three engines J1, K1, A1 and don’t have any plans of supplying them to other manufacturers. In fact, we are not behind numbers but want to establish our presence in India as a manufacturer of high-quality cars.
Q: Are there any plans of launching e-vehicles? Also, is Isuzu prepared for BS 6 norms?
A: There are no such plans as we think renewable energy is the need of the hour and not shift in the source of pollution. India is still a long way to go when it comes to producing renewable energy. Secondly, we don’t want to import batteries from other countries to India. For example, Chile is the largest producer of lithium ion batteries at 52 per cent followed by China at 29 per cent. Thirdly, we are getting ready for BS 6 norms.
| Localisation and exports |
| ‘The D-Max has witnessed 70 per cent localisation with 100 per cent tier-one suppliers. In fact, in 2012 when we first ventured into the country, our localisation was only 53 per cent. As far as exports are considered, all the four models are exported to Nepal and Bhutan from February 2017. So far, we have exported around 300 units to Bhutan and around 200 units to Nepal. Earlier, our cars were imported into those two countries from our Thailand plant. Thailand and Australia are some of our biggest markets recording 1.5 lakh and 2.55 lakh sales respectively in the last fiscal,’ said Ken Takashima. |