Isuzu’s Long Good-Bye Nearly Over

Kelly Blue Book announced that US dealers will cease to sell new Isuzu vehicles on January 31, 2009. Existing dealers will continue to supply parts, service vehicles, and honor factory warranties. Odds are you may not have been aware that Isuzu still sold new cars here, with only 7,000 units sold in 2008. The only models they sold in the US was the Ascender (a rebadged GMC Envoy) and the i-Series pickup (a rebadged Chevy Colorado).

Isuzu’s business model of selling vehicles in North America was always unconventional. This started in 1972 with the re-badged Chevy LUV, a small pick-up truck. Datsun, Toyota, and Honda were already busy trying to make their own names here. Isuzu did eventually sell its own brand of cars here, under its own name, with small compacts like the I-Mark, Stylus, and of interest to enthusiasts, the Impulse (a car The Garage will examine in the Forgotten Sporty Cars series).

Isuzu can also be credited for building the Chevy/Geo Spectrum, and the Geo Storm. You always got the feeling that Isuzu, was, for all intents and purposes, someone’s bitch. This was never more clear in the way Honda dealt with Isuzu. The early 1990’s saw a growing tidal wave of SUV popularity-a market Honda had no experience or know-how of. So they tapped Isuzu.

Honda took the above pictured Rodeo, did some (very) minor trim changes, and called it the Honda Passport (pictured is a 2nd Gen model). Honda also took the Isuzu Trooper, gave it a luxury make-over, and called it the Acura SLX. 

What did Isuzu get? Honda’s very first attempt at a minivan, sold as the Oasis.

You likely know this minivan better as the first generation Honda Odyssey. Even though Isuzu was selling the same car, at a lower price, and with a better warranty, the Honda easily outsold the Isuzu. But with the Passport and SLX, Honda had bought itself time to catch up to the market. And eventually, they did. Isuzu never enjoyed the radically improved second generation Odyssey, and by 2002, Honda and Isuzu ended the Rodeo-Passport deal, as Honda was ready with its new Pilot and Acura MDX. 

In 1999, GM owned almost half of Isuzu, and thereby held a majority on the Board. But GM didn’t seem to have a real plan for Isuzu. It’s SUV’s aged, sales dropped. The brand left the Canadian market in 2003. In the US, dealers were dropping left and right. Isuzu has not sold a non-truck or SUV in America since 1993, so it is incredible they have lasted this long. Isuzu will continue to sell its line of commercial trucks in North America.