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Hiro Kuramoto

ISUZU Ute Australia (IUA) has boosted dealership numbers by almost 40 per cent in three years to cement Australia as the manufacturer’s biggest export market.

In 2017 the manufacturer of two products – the D-Max ute and the mechanically related MU-X seven-seat SUV – recorded 25,804 sales, up 10.4 per cent in a market that grew only 0.9 per cent.

Despite the two basic product lines, IUA outsold BMW (23,619 with more than 20 models) and Audi (22,011 with more than 15 models) in 2017. Last year the D-Max was the fourth most popular 2WD and the sixth best-selling 4WD ute in Australia.

But the company has no immediate plans to increase its showroom numbers and, according to IUA’s general manager of marketing and PR, Mike Conybeare, is “happy with the size of the dealer network”.

“So now we are looking at the quality of the dealers and not quantity,” he told GoAutoNews Premium.

“That will involve an increased focus on our training, customer services, showrooms and service facilities.

“We see a necessity for constant improvement in this game. We want to keep ahead of the competition and we want our customers to have the best possible experience.”

Mr Conybeare said expansion in dealer numbers was not a priority but “we are always assessing the market and considering open points and other opportunities to improve the network.

“We have had a strong growth in dealer numbers. Three years ago we had about 100 and now we have 141. We are now comfortable with our coverage.”

Mr Conybeare said that within the past year, IUA has had some larger dealer groups asking about franchises.

“That’s very pleasing for us and vindicates the product and indicates that we have interest in a different audience segment that may give opportunities to further grow for the brand,” he said.

IUA’s products reach a broad audience from families to tradies but, probably more than its rivals, attracts a lot of attention from holidaymakers and retirees.

“Our customers are diverse but they include a rather large group of grey nomads who are towing caravans around the country,” he said.

“The D-Max and MU-X have really hit a mark with these travellers that has been put down to the vehicle’s durability, reliability and low fuel consumption.

“It’s a no-nonsense brand and I see the older private buyers as being pragmatic people who want quality and reliability in a product.

“There’s some competitors with more bells and whistles than our vehicles but that’s not what these customers necessarily want.

“We’re very happy with the way our vehicles are performing for this segment of the market and it is a group of customers that we look after.”

Mr Conybeare said the D-Max and MU-X will get a minor update later this year.

“Australia is the number one export market for Isuzu Ute in the world, and is second to the home market of Thailand.

“As part of our process of keeping the models up-to-date and focused on what the customers want, there will be some upgrades later this year.”

‘Go Your Own Way’ licence extended

In marketing, IUA has an agreement to retain the licence to its advertising slogan “Go Your Own Way” for around another few years.

Mr Conybeare, who comes from an advertising agency background and worked on some initial Isuzu Ute campaigns before joining the car-maker, said the campaign and the slogan worked extremely well to promote and build the brand.

“We introduced new TV ads last month and we look to keep refreshing the campaigns each quarter,” he said.

“We do that by producing two sets of TV ads each quarter, shoot them and then roll them out over the first three months and then the second.

“Our dealer groups seem very happy with the results of our marketing campaigns,” Mr Conybeare said.

Isuzu D-Max

Changes made to motorsport involvements

Mr Conybeare said that Isuzu motorsport sponsorship arrangements were controlled by the company’s production head office in Thailand and that it recently ended its competition relationship with Australian rally driver Bruce Garland.

However Mr Garland’s long-term navigator, Harry Suzuki, still campaigns in an Isuzu with new driver, West Australian Adrian Di Lallo.

The events in which Isuzu Motorsports – owned by Garland and Suzuki – now compete have also changed. Garland and Suzuki were regular, and very competitive, entrants in major events such as the Paris-Dakar rally, now held in South America.

Mr Conybeare said the Dakar event proved very expensive to maintain a presence and so Isuzu now enters different campaigns such as the 10,000km Silk Way Rally with Di Lallo and Suzuki. Their MU-X won the production class.

Isuzu pulled out of the Paris-Dakar after 2015, and at the same time, ended its association with the Australasian Safari and Finke Desert Race.

Isuzu Ute Australia is fully-owned by the diverse Mitsubishi Corporation, which is also a shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors, but there is no interaction between the two brands.

By Neil Dowling

Isuzu MU-X

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