Isuzu to cease passenger vehicle sales in America at month's end
Click above for high-res gallery of the vehicles Isuzu is leaving behind
Isuzu will cease selling passenger vehicles in America on January 31. In a news blurb that's about as abbreviated as the company's product lineup, Kelley Blue Book reports that the troubled Japanese automaker will stop selling its Ascender SUV and i-Series pickups at the end of the month, both badge-engineered versions of General Motors trucks. Isuzu sales have been winding down for some time now (it sold just over 7000 units last year), and the move had been expected as the plant that underpins the Ascender (shared with the Chevrolet Traiblazer, GMC Envoy, and Saab 9-7X) shuttered just before the holidays.For all of you little Troopers, Hombres, and Amigos that remain brand loyalists, Isuzu has stated that it will continue to offer parts and service to owners, including honoring warranty claims.
Gallery: The Vehicles Isuzu is Leaving Behind
[Source: Kelley Blue Book]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Rob 2:04PM (1/05/2009)
The last interesting thing they made was the Impulse RS. Suspension by Lotus, 160hp, AWD, 2700lbs.
What a car....
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TKE 2:09PM (1/05/2009)
Amen. That thing could rev.
MemphisNET 2:10PM (1/05/2009)
Amen brother. That was an amazing little car for what it was.
Blackax 2:19PM (1/05/2009)
I have a 88' Turbo. Love it so damn fast, and light, Its getting a 2.6 with a bigger turbo hoping to push it over 350 hp
Frankie 11:09AM (1/06/2009)
Ahhh, the Impulse.... :)
I never owned one, but I've driven one; definitely a solid ride.
Isuzu should've followed through after that instead of doing the "cookie-cutter" route by selling rebadged GM vehicles. I guess they and a few others like Toyota (with their Supra) don't know how to stick to a good thing.
Jared 2:09PM (1/05/2009)
So, who will notice the change? Isuzu's haven't exactly been flying off the dealers' lots for the past 5 years.
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Jared 7:19PM (2/02/2009)
Arg... someone with my user name!
Remeber that black plastic cladded Isuzu? They got 2 pictures of it in the gallery. now THOSE where ugly. I remember when they first came out, my neighbor had one and loved it... Like an ugly baby.
BLS 2:13PM (1/05/2009)
I will take a VehiCross for my money.
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1337 9:23AM (1/06/2009)
I'll see your Vehicross and raise you one Aztek.
Spilly 2:14PM (1/05/2009)
Oh no, they won't sell rebadged versions of GM trucks anymore. What a shame.
Though, if you do want a Colorado or an Envoy dirt cheap, now would be a good time to hit up Isuzu.
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snp 2:14PM (1/05/2009)
This is great news. Americans gained HUGE market share for Dec '08. I couldnt figure out how and white. But now it makes some sense. Weed out the fake car companies like Isuzu. Hope Chrysler is next to go. Along with a few other names. Maybe mistubishi?
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Rob 2:22PM (1/05/2009)
Because Isuzu is gone America gained a huge marketshare? What kind of pot are you smoking?
snp 2:30PM (1/05/2009)
ha, no. still putting the pieces together. read my post carefully. it's only 2:30pm right now. info is still dripping out.
Frank 2:42PM (1/05/2009)
Good idea. Hope that a company with close to 100,000 employees goes out of business to suit your desires.
SNP, I hope your company goes out of business next. It will make more room for my company's marketshare. Sorry about your job though. You should find another one. Eventually.
snp 4:05PM (1/05/2009)
Now i'm not saying chrysler employees should live on the street fool. I think Chrysler should go bankrupt and Cerberus takes huge losses. You're a fool to be supporting a hedge fund with 22billion in assets (excluding chrysler) and is wildly profitable. The board is made up of former politicians like John Snow, Dan Quayle, etc. And they still ask for our tax money to keep them churning out low quality, high mileage, low safety vehicles. I didnt have anything against them at first, but they had their chance with 1+ yr in control and management hasnt made the necessary steps to improve product/service. Dont forget that this is a product driven industry first. Instead they make cuts on everything that creates a good product, this includes the jobs of employees from engineers to technicians.
They only fix up the company enough to make it attractive to be sold. If you look into their product line, everything new coming out is a flop or below industry standards. Take a look at their latest hybrids. They borrowed the tech from GM and it still produces horrendous mileage. What great new product have they delivered/announced? You stay at Chrysler, see where it takes you. See how well these former politicians will take care of you. They're not stupid, they have powerful wealthy clients and they only remain at the top because they consistently deliver profits. Even though the firms they buy up are losing billions a month.
You want american, get Ford. Get GM. Get Tesla/Fisker if you have the cash. You want a quality car, look at Ford, Toyota, Honda. You want luxury, get BMW, Caddy, Lexus.
You cant defend Chrysler.
snp 4:23PM (1/05/2009)
@Frank,
Have you taken a look at news and polls?
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Headlines: Chrysler Workers Feel "Hopeless" (Pt 5)
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APPROVAL DISAPPROVAL
Ford's Alan Mullaly 63 percent 13 percent
GM's Rick Wagoner 45 percent 33 percent
Chrysler's Bob Nardelli 19 percent 64 percent
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Cerberus is gutting out Chrysler to ensuring a profit. Then they will flip it around a few times to demonstrate effort and trial/error attempts as a show to the govt that PROGRESS is happening. And guess what? This is the company YOU so proudly support. A company where the owners can screw the whole firm (employees, common creditors, common debtors, customers) and still expect everyone to support them till the bitter end.
snp 4:42PM (1/05/2009)
@Frank
And just to nail it in. Results are in for Dec '08. Of all the volume producers, EVERYONE beat economic and financial analyst expectations save for ONE. Do you know which company fell well below expectations? By this time next year, Chrysler will be below Honda. Good news for Ford/GM eh? Too bad for you, you should work on your resume now.
dea911 5:44PM (1/05/2009)
um....last I checked, Chrysler is already well below Honda. Maybe you should do your research again before you open your big mouth.
snp 5:55PM (1/05/2009)
How? Chrysler beat Honda by several thousand vehicles for '08. It all depends on your source. And when I say beat, I mean having a significant margin over the other. Next year is the year to call it.
Frank 7:24PM (1/05/2009)
SNP, I had only to post ONCE, with one little paragraph. And you "defended" your inappropriate comments with 4 different posts. That speaks volumes. Your comment was uncalled for and can not be defended. No one should wish for any company to go under. And then to make matters worse you resort to name calling. I'm sorry to disappoint you but I am no fool and I do not work for Chrysler, never have. I did once work for the largest private Toyota distributor in the US, a multi-billion dollar company. You have been pwned. Now go wash your hands, your momma is calling you for dinner.