Brand-new Isuzu trucks move businesses forward

MANILA, Philippines - Imported second-hand trucks offer only one advantage to a business that needs to have goods moved or services delivered; they are cheap to purchase. This means minimal initial cash outlay, making them enticing at a glance. 

But on closer look, the disadvantages attached in buying used trucks significantly outweigh the initial attraction of a lower purchase price and when all the other factors involved in their ownership and operation are considered, these used trucks become costlier in the long run.

Imported second-hand trucks do not come with any service history, and so their condition is ascertained only through visual inspection and speculation. To make this worse, most of these vehicles are not accompanied by any warranty, putting the buyer at risk. Because the used trucks imported into the Philippines have served past their useful lifetime in the countries where they came from, their reliability is in doubt also, and so they require more maintenance and repair work, causing costly delays to businesses. These vehicles are likely to fail emissions standards too.

Also, majority of imported second-hand trucks have been converted from right-hand drive to left-hand drive, with the conversion performed through questionable methods. This makes them unsafe, and over the years numerous road accidents have been traced to the poor conditions of many converted vehicles. 

All these negative factors can be avoided by purchasing brand-new trucks. While they are priced higher, the long-term advantages that they offer make them more cost-effective. Generally, new trucks have a useful lifetime of more than 10 years while imported second-hand ones may last only for three years. Plus, after a decade of reliable service, these trucks that were bought new can be resold at higher prices (high resale value).

When it comes to new trucks, those produced by Diesel Expert Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) are unmatched, with Isuzu trucks having established a reputation for being reliable, durable and fuel-efficient. Proof of this is that they are among the most popular trucks in the local market, with the highly regarded Isuzu N-Series having been the bestselling in its category for 13 consecutive years.

“Filipinos have loved and have put their trust on Isuzu trucks for decades, as the Isuzu brand has been present in the Philippines since the 1950s,” said IPC President Ryoji Yamazaki. “In fact, the Isuzu brand has become synonymous to trucks and its diesel expertise. This serves as an inspiration for us to continuously offer the Filipino market well-built products that they deserve.”

Unlike imported used trucks, brand-new Isuzu trucks are in excellent operating condition. Their maintenance schedules are guaranteed to be performed by highly trained IPC technicians who strictly follow the manufacturer’s specifications, and are done in service centers that are best-equipped for the job. They are also ensured to be fitted with genuine Isuzu parts.

Because they are brand-new, they have received only the latest components, guaranteeing their reliability and—with proper care and maintenance—longevity of service. The modern engines that power brand-new Isuzu trucks also comply to strict emissions standards like Euro II, and that certifies them as both fuel-efficient and environment-friendly. These traits cannot be offered by imported second-hand units, which mostly have already been classified as scrap in the countries where they were used.

Comparing the advantages of a new Isuzu truck that, for example, costs P944,000 to a second-hand unit that could be purchased for P580,000 is substantial. When the cost of their service life, fuel-efficiency and warranty coverage, as well as the additional expenses that imported used trucks are likely to incur (downtimes due to repairs, roadside apprehension because of smoke belching or breakdowns) are computed side by side, a brand-new Isuzu is estimated to save more than P300,000 per year over a second-hand truck. The savings come from a brand-new Isuzu truck’s longer service life, lower fuel costs and manufacturer’s coverage of parts that are under warranty in the vehicle’s first three years.

An added result of brand-new Isuzu trucks’ reliability, extended service life, lower fuel costs and environment-friendliness is that they hold their value much longer.

Isuzu trucks, like the rest of company’s product range, have proven to retain their monetary value through the years and command excellent resale prices. For example, a brand new Isuzu NKR light duty-truck was priced at P855,000 and has a current resale value of P650,000 after five years of dependable use from its original price. This is in contrast to imported second-hand trucks that may cost about half of what a brand-new Isuzu truck does but will only have a value of less than P100,000 after a few years of problematic service. This confirms that while imported used trucks have a low purchase price, they also carry very little value right from the start.