The Isuzu car brand is very familiar to the Indonesian people. It’s just that until now there are still misunderstandings in the community regarding Isuzu cars.
Many people consider Isuzu to be the same as several other Japanese cars that often make passenger cars. Even though at this time Isuzu is even more focused on doing business in commercial vehicles.
This is shown by the vehicle portfolio which is more dominated by trucks, pickups and mini vans. Even though there are passenger cars like the Isuzu mu-X, they are also focused on commercial needs.
This difference in understanding is actually reasonable because Isuzu is very synonymous with a very legendary passenger car, the Isuzu Panther. Who doesn’t know Isuzu Panther?
In the past, only Isuzu Panther cars could be owned by owners from Jakarta to Bali with Rp. 44,000 in cash. So that’s where the misunderstanding comes from.
The Indonesian people insist that Isuzu is a passenger car brand, not a commercial vehicle brand. In fact, who would have thought that Isuzu’s desire to remove the stigma of passenger cars was actually in line with their story when they first arrived in Indonesia.
It is known that the Isuzu brand began to enter Indonesia in 1960, with imported products in the form of Isuzu Bison, then continued with the Isuzu T series after the establishment of an official brand holding agent in Indonesia.
On May 3, 1974 a company was founded under the name PT. Pantja Motor by PT Pantja Niaga by Ir Rustam Darwis based in Jakarta. Pantja Niaga is the agent holding Isuzu motorbikes in Indonesia.
At that time, the Isuzu T Series truck became Pantja Niaga’s flagship product. This light truck is synonymous with the yellow and red cabin colors because it is widely used by government agencies, namely the Public Works Service and the Fire Department.
The shape of the Isuzu T series trucks is still conventional with the engine positioned in front of the cabin and the driver’s room without a roof with a muzzle on the hood. The TX20 Series model includes a light truck with a GWV of 10 tons and uses small wheels, 7.50-20-10PR with 6.00×20 rims. The history of Isuzu continues with the presence of Isuzu Bison, also known as Isuzu Elf.
In 1991 PT. Astra International Tbk acquired the majority shares of PT. Pantja Motor with 75% shares purchased through PT. Aryaloka Sentana from PT Unitras Pertama. In the same year, Isuzu Indonesia introduced the Isuzu Panther with a 2,300 cc Diesel Direct Injection engine.
This Panther is Isuzu’s historic car in Indonesia because it is a pioneer in using diesel engines for multi-purpose commercial vehicles (KBNS). Automatically, the Isuzu Panther becomes a rival to the Toyota Kijang and the Panther is successfully accepted by consumers because of its toughness and economic value.
Isuzu Panther TBR 54, 2500 cc Diesel Direct Injection, which was the first facelift of the Panther, launched in 1996. That same year, foreign investors entered PT Pantja Motor, namely Isuzu Motors Ltd and Itochu Corporation.
Isuzu Indonesia’s second model for the passenger car segment is the Isuzu D-Max which is built from the Isuzu i-Series platform. This double cabin pickup was launched in 2003 with a 3.0 liter JH1 engine.
The second generation Isuzu D-Max was introduced to the public at the 2013 Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS). The facelift was carried out quite thoroughly, both exterior, interior and the kitchen runway. On the exterior, changes include the headlights, taillights, bumper, and the addition of a chrome accented grille.
The last model that is no less phenomenal than Isuzu is the MU-X. The SUV entered Isuzu’s history because it was present as a rival to the Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. Isuzu MU-X is imported from Thailand and uses the platform from the Chevrolet Trail Blazer.
Isuzu MU-X adopts the 4JK1-TC Hi-Power 4-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC engine with a capacity of 2,499 cc Turbocharge Intercooler VGS. The power generated is 136 PS at 3,600 rpm with a peak torque of 32.6 kgm at rotation between 1,800-2,800 rpm.
