ISUZU Ute Australia (IUA) remains on track to achieve a decade of uninterrupted double-digit annual sales growth after posting a 10.4 per cent increase last year to claim another record result, with the Japanese light-commercial and SUV specialist continuing to outgun many big-name brands with just a two-model line-up.

The Queensland-based company hit a high of 25,804 units last year, which represents a 10.4 per cent improvement over its 2016 result (23,377) and its ninth successive year-on-year sales increase since launching in Australia as a standalone brand in 2008.

Trading with just the D-Max pick-up and the related MU-X large SUV, Isuzu Ute was the 13th best-selling automotive brand in Australia in 2017, up from 15th in 2016 and leapfrogging BMW (which it outsold by more than 2000 units) as well as Audi (3793 units behind).

There was daylight between Isuzu Ute and 12th-placed Mercedes-Benz (42,489) – and a top-10 berth would require a doubling of its current sales – but Isuzu Ute was again a standout performer in a strong market where many brands nonetheless found the going tough, outselling the likes of Suzuki (19,256, -1.2%), Land Rover (13,112, -3.6%), Renault (10,812, -2.7%) and Jeep (8270, -34.5%).

Significantly, the MU-X was also best afield among the burgeoning class of large SUVs based on one-tonne utilities.

IUA has come a long way since late last decade, with the company recording 3566 sales in its first full year (2009) and never looking back, passing the 10,000-unit mark in 2013 (10,209) on the back of the MU-X’s launch late that year and a full year with the new-generation D-Max.

Over the next two years it went on to post annual totals of 16,674 in 2014 (+63.3%) and 20,984 in 2015 (+25.8%), and this time last year IUA officials were joking about the fact that 2016 simply brought its “worst record” of 11.4 per cent growth.

The D-Max remains IUA’s best seller in Australia, with 4922 examples of the 4×2 finding homes last year – a 2.3 per cent dip year-on-year – and 12,795 for the 4×4, which compensated for the 4×2’s downturn with a 13.0 per cent increase over 2016.

Combined sales of the D-Max last year were 17,717 (+8.3 per cent), which pushed the Thai-built one-tonner into fifth in its segment ahead of the Nissan Navara.

It trailed the dominant Toyota HiLux (47,093) and Ford Ranger (42,728) as well as the Mitsubishi Triton (23,605) and Holden’s Colorado (21,579).

The MU-X, meanwhile, stood aloft as the country’s most popular pick-up-based SUV, with 8087 sales for the year – an increase of 15.2 per cent over 2016.

It just edged out the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (7618), as well as the Ranger-based Ford Everest (4607), the mechanically related Holden Trailblazer (3304) and Toyota’s slower-selling Fortuner (2851).

The rugged seven-seat off-roader also outpaced more mainstream soft-roaders in the segment, including the Hyundai Santa Fe (7974), Kia Sorento (4725) and Nissan Pathfinder (4502), while nipping at the heels of the Mazda CX-9 (9012) and Holden Captiva (9588).

While the company has not signalled any intention to expand its two-model line-up, a new D-Max is expected by the end of the decade and, as previously reported, it will be shared with Mazda and form the basis of the next-generation BT-50, following the end of Mazda’s agreement with Ford.

General Motors had engaged Isuzu to develop the next Colorado off the D-Max, but the American auto giant canned the plans in mid-2016 after deciding to go its own way with its future pick-up.

Both the D-Max and MU-X received mid-life updates in 2017, with the pair gaining new Euro 5 engines, styling changes and an uptick in standard gear.

Isuzu Ute Australia managing director Hiro Kuramoto said the updates to the range and the introduction of competitive aftersales service programs helped ensure the strong result in 2017.

“We are particularly proud of the growth of the D-Max and MU-X in an extremely competitive market,” he said. “We are excited to see that our updated models have really hit the mark with our consumers.

“Customer satisfaction and loyalty is the key to our ongoing success with many happy owners now transitioning into a newer model as well as increasing numbers of new customers being referred.

“This, combined with the impressive improvements to our product and aftersales offering – ‘Service Plus 5-5-5’ with five years’ capped-price servicing being added to our existing five-year warranty and five years’ roadside assistance package, reconfirming our reputation for performance, dependability and value.”

The Japanese brand has a total of 140 dealerships in its Australian network.

By Tim Nicholson