Isuzu inaugurates new production plant in India

Located at SriCity in Andhra Pradesh, Isuzu's manufacturing unit will produce the entire D-Max range of pick-up trucks for the domestic market. 

After setting up shops in the country in 2012, Isuzu has finally commenced production at its own manufacturing facility in India. Spread over an area of 107 acres, Isuzu’ local production unit is located at SriCity in Andhra Pradesh. It has been built with an investment of Rs 3,000 crores with annual production capacity capped at 50,000 units. Should the need arise, the production can be scaled up to 1.2 lakh units, annually.

At the inauguration ceremony, Isuzu rolled out the first made-in-India D-Max V-Cross. Showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo earlier this year, the V-Cross is based around the second-gen D-Max pick-up truck, but is mainly aimed at private car buyers. The D-Max V-Cross comes fitted with the company’s 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo engine developing 134bhp of max power and 320Nm of peak torque between 1,800 rpm 2,800 rpm. The engine is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox, sending power to all four-wheels.

Alongside the V-Cross, the company will manufacture the new-gen D-MAX pick-up truck for sale in the light commercial vehicle segment at its new facility. This will be offered in two versions - Single Cab and Double Cab in both 4x2 and 4x4 versions.

70 per cent parts localisation has been achieved in the production of its new D-Max range, claims Isuzu. This will be increased further in future. The company may also consider export of vehicles manufactured in India, although that will be confirmed at a later stage.

Until now, Isuzu has been assembling completely knocked down units (CKD) of the MU-7 SUV and D-Max pick-up trucks at Hindustan Motors’ Chennai plant on contractual basis. Assembly of the MU-7 will continue in Chennai as of now.