Adios Isuzu

[NOS2006]

Isuzu to Leave US Market

Isuzu has officially announced that it will pull out of the U.S. market. While the company will still sell its commercial trucks in the U.S., Isuzu will no longer be selling its i-series pickup truck or Ascender SUV as of January 1, 2009. Isuzu will continue to offer parts and service in the U.S. for its vehicles.

Isuzu says the decision to leave the U.S. market was made because of a lack of future products. Both of Isuzu's models are based on General Motors vehicles — the i-series pickup on the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon and the Ascender SUV on the Chevrolet TrailBlazer — and GM has no plans to update either platform in the near future. Isuzu deemed developing a vehicle on its own specifically for the U.S. market too costly.

Rumors that Isuzu would leave the U.S. market have been circling for years, due to the Japanese automaker's lackluster sales. In 2006, Isuzu managed to sell just 15,751 vehicles and only moved 7,906 units in 2007.

The exit from the U.S. market will reportedly cost Isuzu $37 million in dealer buyouts and other move related expenses

http://www.leftlanenews.com/isuzu-to-leave-us-market.html

[SuperSport623]

Damn it bro! you beat me to the punch!

[Croc]

Doesn't surprise me.

[PurdueGuy]

*shocked!*

not

[Intrepidation]

Took them long enough. they tried to deny it for so long but it's obvious when you've got two rebadged, subpar products and nothing in the feature, you've got no where to go but home.

[griff7774]

Took them long enough. they tried to deny it for so long but it's obvious when you've got two rebadged, subpar products and nothing in the feature, you've got no where to go but home.

LET US ALL SAY ....AMEN!

[balthazar]

Rumors that Isuzu would leave the U.S. market have been circling for decades...

Fixed.

1 down... (how many more) to go?

Isn't mitsu on the same path (praypray) ??

How's suzuki managing to hold on?

[Sixty8panther]

Suzuki makes some decent product these days, the XL7 is the only lame one!

The Grand Vitara & SX4 are great values, truth be told.

HOWEVER:

Toyopet-Lex-Sci, Hond-Accura, Mitsu & Kia need to GTFO of the USA!!!

[Bimmer325]

Mitsubishi makes some great cars.

[loki]

too bad they couldn't have still sold the Trooper..at least for the spare wheel covers industry. lol

[thegriffon]

"…and GM has not informed Isuzu of plans to update either platform in the near future. "

Fixed.

This is GM saying "Excuse me, whose light diesel engineers are you shifting to a Toyota program? Let's see you convince Toyota to sell you rebadged Tacomas then."

[Intrepidation]

Farewell Isuzu, we hardly cared.

[bobo]

Back in the early '80s when the gas crisis was going on, Isuzu was one of the few automakers offering small cars with diesel engines. It's never fun to see nameplates go away. Isuzu memories will include the snazzy first generation Isuzu Impulse with the Lotus-tuned suspension, Geo Storm and Spectrum. The Trooper provided great value for the money when SUVs were still utilitarian. And of course, Joe Isuzu will always be an advertising icon.

[Intrepidation]

Maybe if they had actually invested in product they might not have had to pull out.