RIYADH, 5 May 2007 -- The latest series of the D-Max pickup truck from Isuzu was launched in Saudi Arabia in an extravagant event held here Thursday evening.
The new low cost, low fuel consumption vehicle was revealed for the first time to a large crowd of media persons and representatives of the motor industry by Abdulmuhsin Alissa, chairman of the Abdullatif Alissa Auto Company, the sole dealer for Isuzu in Saudi Arabia.
During his inauguration speech, Alissa mentioned that the relationship between the company and its clients was further than just a commercial one, noting the importance of customer satisfaction.
He said that Isuzu trucks have established a name themselves in the Saudi market, especially since they run on diesel engines and are well known for their durability.
"Isuzu trucks have proven that they are fit to withstand the rigid climate of Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries... they are achieving success similar to the success in other Asian countries," he said.
"Its breakdowns are also very rare and they are built for generations to come," he added.
He mentioned that Isuzu trucks in general were famous for their low consumption of fuel and their advanced diesel engines, which are environmental friendly, producing the least amount of carbon dioxide to the air in its category.
According to Alissa, Isuzu trucks (medium and small category) were the most dominant in sales in the Saudi market, representing 70 percent of the entire market share.
"The D-Max market shares has jumped to the second rating after Toyota and represents 30 percent of the total pick up market share," he said. He expected growth to continue in 2007.
Speaking to Arab News after the event, Alissa said that the company had sold 29,500 vehicles last year in the Kingdom.
He mentioned that the growth rate in the market for the company was 30 percent, adding that the company seeks to provide better customer services to its clients.
"Among the customer services we provide is that we purchase the car back from the consumer if he wishes to sell it," he said. "We give him a better price than the market, especially if the car was under maintenance by the dealer through out its service years."
Commenting on the sales of D-Max in the Kingdom, Alissa said that sales have increased by 48 percent from 2005. "In the past, Saudi people had the wrong image about diesel engines. While half of the total passenger cars in Western Europe run on diesel, Saudi people thought that the diesel engine was noisy and released black smoke," he said.
By Raid Qusti
© Arab News 2007
