Officials from Isuzu Cebu Inc. and Isuzu Philippines Corp. gather between units of the Isuzu MU-X Black Series during its launching last Friday at the Isuzu Cebu Inc. dealership at the North Reclamation Area. In the photo are (from left) Isuzu Mandaue branch manager Ilderim Castañares, Isuzu Cebu general manager Steve Gingco, Isuzu Philippines executive vice president Shojiro Sakoda, Mitsubishi Corp. Asean Division general manager Daisuke Takagi and Isuzu Philippines vice president for sales Hiroto Nakaguro. cdn photos/tonee despojo
A limited series of Isuzu’s hot-selling MU-X midsize sports utility vehicle (SUV) was introduced in a symbolic launching last Friday.
The MU-X Black Series edition was unveiled at the Isuzu Cebu Inc. dealership at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City in an activity that was described as “very strategic and historic.”
Shojiro Sakoda, executive vice president of Isuzu Philippines Corp., said they chose Cebu to host the launching of the new series because they consider the Queen City of the South a special market.
“Our market share for SUV in Cebu is very high,” Sakoda said.
Sakoda said they are confident that the black series will fare well in the market, just like how the regular MU-X models did since its introduction in 2014.
Available in black and garnet colors, around 1,000 MU-X Black Series units are available in the market but Isuzu is willing to release more depending on the demand.
“I expect more sales in addition to the regular models. We supposed black is good for the sophisticated image. We believe we can appeal to the executive people, they love the sporty one, the elegant one. We believe this model is suitable for them,” Sakoda said.
Strategic
The MU-X was introduced in the last quarter of 2014 and last year. More than 12,000 units were sold in the Philippines, making the country the number one market for MU-X worldwide.
“We are privileged that Isuzu Philippines has chosen Cebu as the official launching ground, instead of the usual Metro Manila, of the new Isuzu MU-X variant to the Philippine market. Choosing Cebu for this activity is actually very strategic,” said Isuzu Cebu general manager Steve Gingco.
Gingco emphasized that the SUV, particularly the midsize SUV market, is currently one of the most important segments in the Philippine automotive industry.
“Last year, this segment comprised 18 percent of the total market with about 71,000 units sold and more than 12,000 of which were Isuzu MU-X units,” said Gingco.
Also last year, all Isuzu Cebu branches sold more than 1,100 MU-X units in the region, making Isuzu Cebu Inc. the second best seller of the MU-X nationwide.
“This figure shows that Cebu and Region 7 have a strong preference for the Isuzu MU-X. In fact for the last two years, Isuzu MU-X has been the second most sold SUV units in Region 7 with an average market share of about 25 percent, which means for every four SUVs sold, one of them was an Isuzu MU-X,” added Gingco.
The Black Series features some cosmetic changes inside and out. The front grille is now blacked out together with the rear garnish and side stepboards. Inside, there’s a splash of carbon fiber finish in the dashboard and door trims. Wheels are now two-toned 17-inch alloys.
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