NEW D-MAX TO HELP ISUZU MEET TARGET AS SECOND SHIFT RESUMES AT PLANT

       Commercial-vehicle specialist Isuzu says the new version of its D-Max pickup will help it achieve this year's sales target of 100,000 units.
       The company sold 119,500 pickups last year, down from 133,000 in 2007.
       Isuzu resumed the second shift at its production plant earlier this month after a slump in the pickup market forced it to reduce production to a single shift in January. A number of temporary workers have also been re-employed.
       Several auto companies, including Toyota and Mitsubishi, are rehiring workers, thanks to the recovery in the auto sector.
       Tri Petch Isuzu Sales vice president Shigeru Wakabayashi said signs of recovery in the pickup market were evident albeit of small magnitude.
       Wakabayashi said the global recession had hurt Isuzu's exports from Thailand, due to falling orders from European and Middle East markets.
       "However, markets in Asean have not been as affected as ones in Europe, and we're receiving a good number of orders from Australia, where Isuzu UTE Australia was set up to handle sales of Isuzu pickups," he said.
       Isuzu pickups exported to Australia were previously sold under the Holden brand.
       Wakabayashi said the Thai pickup market had been heavily affected by the recession, because farmers, who are major buyers of pickups, were unable to receive auto loans.
       "The US financial crisis has affected the auto market, especially pickups, because finance companies raised their loan requirements, which prevented farmers, who do not have salaried incomes, from getting loans to purchase the trucks," he said.
       "However, in the last three months consumer confidence has improved, while the harvesting season is approaching, so finance companies may ease loan-approval measures for farmers, and this could help the pickup market recover gradually."
       Isuzu's new Super Platinum D-Max and Mu-7 are priced Bt5,000 to Bt7,000 higher than previous models and available with the Genius Exploring Network Interactive Intelligence navigation system, featuring a Thai-language menu and touch-screen display.