Isuzu UTE set sales record in 2021

BUOYED by the introduction of the new-generation MU-X mid-year and the surging popularity of the recently expanded D-MAX line-up, Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) notched up 35,735 new vehicle sales in 2021 and finished the year as the eleventh best-selling vehicle brand in the local market.

IUA charted as a top-ten selling brand across six out of 12 months: ninth in May, tenth in June, eighth in July, ninth in August, eighth in September and ninth in December. 

While accounting for 3.4 per cent of all new vehicles sold in Australia — the total eclipsed the brand’s previous annual record of 27,640 (set in 2018), according to the FCAI – IUA finished up the year as Australia's eleventh best-selling vehicle brand; it outsold, inter alia, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda, Suzuki and Audi.

“Rounding out the year in eleventh overall was quite an accomplishment — a result only made possible thanks to our loyal customers, whom have been patient and understanding as we meet unprecedented levels of demand,” Isuzu UTE Australia managing director Hiroyasu Sato said.

One-in-five new vehicles sold in 2021 was a ute; a total of 25,117 new Isuzu D-MAX utes were sold throughout the calendar year, representing a 12.4 per cent share of the “one-tonne Ute LCV” segment. The ute frequented the monthly top-ten sales charts on ten occasions throughout the year and finishing the year as Australia's seventh best-selling vehicle. 

In fact, in June '21, which is the traditional peak selling period of the year, the D-MAX was the third best-selling model that month.

Compared with the previous year, D-MAX sales (25,117 units) grew by 66.8 per cent, which was more than four-and-a-half times the overall new car market's growth of 14.5 per cent, IUA said. The Japanese brand’s product was the country’s third best-selling ute and, in particular, the second best-selling 4x2 ute with 6478 examples sold, outselling the Ford Ranger 4x2 by 2185 vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Under $70k segment of the Large SUV market accounted for ten per cent of all new vehicles sold, and the MU-X sold in record numbers throughout the year, with 10,618 new and previous-gen examples finding new Australian homes for a 9.4 percent share of the segment. 

The MU-X seven-seater finished second in the segment sales charts, outselling the Subaru Outback (10,490), Mazda CX-9 (6630) and Ford Everest (8359). More importantly, the MU-X cemented its position as the top-selling ute-based SUV for the eighth-consecutive year (2014–2021).

In August 2021, IUA launched the second-generation MU-X SUV, delivering 4332 examples of the new-generation seven-seat SUV within the first five-months of sale (August 2021 – December 2021).

“We are proud to have seen the MU-X grow in popularity year-on-year. What is quite remarkable is the fact that one-in-ten Large SUV buyers with a budget of up to $70,000 chose a new Isuzu MU-X in 2021,” Isuzu UTE Australia sales and marketing director Koichiro Yoshida said.

IUA recently delivered its 230,000th vehicle (in December 2021). To date, the Japanese importer has sold 169,607 D-MAX utes and 61,370 MU-X SUVs in Australia.