Isuzu announces partnership with Jonty Rhodes

Isuzu Motors India, a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors, has announced its partnership with the South African cricketing legend Jonty Rhodes for promotion of its lifestyle pickup truck V-Cross.

Isuzu D-max V-Cross was launched in May 2016, and is now contributing almost 13% of the Isuzu’s sales in India. The vehicle has been the country’s first Adventure Utility Vehicle (AUV), and is available in high and standard class variant.

“Coming from the country where pickup trucks are commonly used as a personal vehicle for daily commute and weekend getaways, I am equally excited to endorse such a vehicle in India,” Rhodes told reporters here.

Rhodes, while explaining his affinity with the pickup trucks, said that he spent his childhood in the pickup trucks. “My father is 78-year-old and he is a teacher by profession. His preferred vehicle has been a pickup truck, and he has never deviated from that,” he added.

The AUV is available in four-wheel drive with modern SUV features, and a large deck. The V-cross comes with additional features like electronic stability control, auto cruise control and daytime running lamps, among others.

With Rhodes on board, the company plans to get into aggressive mode of marketing henceforth. Speaking about the association with Rhodes, the company’s Deputy Managing Director Ken Takashima said, “He brings with him unique qualities that differentiate him as a game changer in international cricket. He endorses aspirational traits of the growing Indian population.”

The company is set to push the V-cross vehicle in the market with a tagline ‘game changer’. Isuzu, with a capital outlay of Rs 3,000 crore in India, sells four vehicles in the Indian market – two in personal vehicle segment and two in commercial vehicle segment.

Two years after it commenced its operations, the company, recently in July, rolled-out 10,000th vehicle from the manufacturing plant in SriCity, Andhra Pradesh. Isuzu has 35 dealership locations across India.