After a stunning start to the 2008 sales year, Isuzu Trucks believe the best is yet to come, as the
After a stunning start to the 2008 sales year, Isuzu Trucks believe the best is yet to come, as the Australian truck market continues to power ahead.
Jeff Birdseye, Isuzu’s marketing manager in Australia, says they are not surprised by their strong sales, which actually saw them equal Volvo in the heavy truck segment.
At the same time, it outsold traditional heavyweights Mack and Freightliner, to finish equal third with Mack for total sales in the segment after three months.
Sales in the light and medium segment remained strong for the company, with one in three light duty trucks sold wearing the Isuzu badge.
“We have maintained our ratio, and kept pace with the overall market increase, and have placed equal third in the Heavy segment,” Birdseye says.
“We are already ahead of where we were last year…we’ll hit our straps later in the year as we meet demand and the new generation gains popularity.”
Improvements to the new model range will help boost Isuzu’s sales, Birdseye says, especially after the marketplace becomes familiar with the expanded offering.
“This all new generation range of models increases our ability to compete in segments previously not available to us. Furthermore with the USPs and superiority of the new models versus the competition we are currently unable to meet demand.”
While many others in the industry are still talking of a slowdown later in the year, Birdseye predicts an even higher total than the record set in 2007, with most of that coming from the light and medium segments.
“We see the total market coming in approx 10 percent over last year’s volume but the relative contribution from the heavy segment will not be sustained in the second half of the year; rather it will be replaced with Light and Medium segment growth; influenced by the strong economy and model led market expansion due to Isuzu new models among others.”