Isuzu Motors Limited (headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; President and COO: Shinsuke Minami; hereinafter “Isuzu”) has begun supplying “Kuzer” light-duty trucks for international markets to UD Trucks Corporation (headquartered in Ageo, Saitama, Japan; President and CEO: Koichi Ito; hereinafter “UD Trucks”), an Isuzu Group company. Since June, UD Trucks has transitioned to the new Kuzer manufactured by Isuzu Motors and has been selling it in Malaysia. Isuzu and UD Trucks have been expanding product collaboration since 2023 and continue to accelerate synergies between the two companies.
The new Kuzer for Malaysia is a light-duty truck with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 7.5 or 8.5 tons, which was designed based on Isuzu’s light-duty N series (known as ELF in Japan) for international markets. The model addresses customer needs for compact vehicles by reducing chassis weight and enhancing payload capacity.
The new Kuzer adopts a cleaner “4HK1-TCN” engine, which delivers excellent environmental performance and fuel economy.
On the safety front, the model boasts enhanced advanced safety features by newly standardizing items such as ABS*1＋EBD*2, ASR*3, SRS airbags, and LED headlamps. In addition to theft prevention functions such as a standardized immobilizer, driver convenience is amplified with enhancements like central locking with remote keyless entry and expanded in-cabin storage.
To maintain continuity for existing Kuzer customers, the new model inherits a consistent UD Trucks design, helping ensure a seamless transition.
As announced in April last year in our mid-term business plan “ISUZU Transformation – Growth to 2030 (IX),” Isuzu Group is working to deepen its collaboration with UD Trucks by harnessing the strengths of both companies. Isuzu Group will leverage its technology and development capabilities, global sales and after-sales network, and brand presence to provide attractive products to a broader customer base, transforming into a “commercial mobility solutions company” that addresses challenges facing society.
*1Anti-lock Brake System
*2Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
*3Anti-Slip Regulator
Product collaboration between Isuzu and UD Trucks
| Launch | Market | Brand | Segment | Collaboration result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outside Japan | Japan | Isuzu | UD | HD | MD | LD | ||
| April 2023 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | New heavy-duty tractor models “GIGA” and “Quon” launched as the first joint developed product | |||
| December 2023 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | “Kazet” light-duty truck full model change | ||||
| January 2024 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | “Condor” medium-duty truck full model change | ||||
| July 2024 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | Start of “S&E Series” heavy-duty truck production | ||||
| April 2025 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | “Quon” MT heavy-duty truck launched | ||||
| June 2025 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | “Kuzer” light-duty truck launched | ||||
SOURCE: Isuzu
