Fleet customers are key if Isuzu UK is to achieve its plans to double D-Max pick-up sales by 2025, says its managing director.

The manufacturer has recently launched its new D-Max  – the replacement for the current Commercial Fleet Pick-up of the Year – in the UK, and wants registrations to rise from around 5,000 a year to 10,000.

Its ambitions have been helped by other manufacturers such as Nissan, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi withdrawing from the pick-up market in the UK, with William Brown, managing director or Isuzu UK, hoping this means the manufacturer can meet its target early.

He added: “Fleet is an important part of our business and over the past six years it has grown tremendously.

“We’re now selling vehicles to the likes of BT, Environment Agency, Network Rail, Mitie, all the big utility companies, and had orders for 800 models from fleet customers before they even saw the new D-Max.

“It is much more premium than its predecessor and will appeal to a wider audience, but that doesn’t mean we are going to forget what the Isuzu brand is all about.

“And that is that D-Max is a working pick-up and it is going to remain as a work vehicle first and foremost.”

He added: “With any new truck you get that honeymoon period to start with and the feedback from our dealers and customers has been overwhelming,” adds Brown.

“All the vehicles that we ordered from the factory have been sold, so all those being shipped to us are going straight to the dealers.

“We've got a feeling it’s not going to slow down this year. Despite Covid-19, there seems to be a very strong pent-up demand out there.”

Isuzu splits its customers into three segments: business, which is predominately fleet customers; all-purpose, which is customers like builders, tradesmen and farmers; and adventure, which is lifestyle customers.

Business registrations accounted for 30% of the outgoing model’s sales, with 50% falling into the all-purpose category and 20% in adventure.

It expects this split to shift to 25% business, 45% all-purpose and 30% adventure.

Brown says each market has its specific models. Base-level Utility trim will be for business and has features such as easily-cleanable vinyl flooring and steel wheels, DL20 and DL40 for all-purpose and V-Cross for adventure customers.

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