Isuzu RU30 MPV likely by end 2016

People movers are finally getting their due as a segment in India, not only in the cab market but also as private vehicles. And that means every carmaker is looking at a version of their own. Fairly new to India but with a focus on good and people movement, Isuzu is planning to launch an MPV of their own. Codenamed RU30, the 7-seater MPV is slated to begin production by October 2016 according to an ET report. The report further goes on to say that 40,000 units of the MPV will be produced annually.

The RU30 MPV will take on the new Toyota Innova that we’ve seen testing recently. It is expected to be larger than the likes of the Maruti Ertiga and the Honda Mobilio and should be powered by the 2.5-litre D-Max diesel mill that dishes out 136PS of power. This would give the company economies of scale as this engine will be the mainstay for Isuzu in India. Isuzu plans to build 60,000 units annually to begin with of which the pick-up will take up about one-third of the capacity. Details on the RU30 are sketchy at the moment but we will keep you posted as and when we know more. 

The Japanese carmaker is building its manufacturing facility at Sri-City in Andhra Pradesh that will begin production in 2016. Till then, the D-Max and the MU-7 are being assembled in Tamil Nadu at a contract manufacturing facility with Hindustan Motors. The focus for Isuzu is the D-Max as it is here it expects the numbers to come from. According to company forecasts, the pick-up truck segment in India will be the largest in the world within the next decade and so the D-Max will be a crucial product for Isuzu.