Poor fuel quality in PH keeping Isuzu from bringing in new trucks

Isuzu Philippine Corporation held last weekend a truck exhibit at Le Pavillon in Pasay City called, well, \"Truck Fest.\" Top Gear Philippines paid the expo a visit and learned more about Isuzu\'s global lineup of trucks.

During a brief exclusive interview, Kengo Baba, senior executive officer of Isuzu Motors Limited of Japan, told us that Isuzu\'s global lineup of trucks already meets the Euro V standard. It appears that the Philippines needs to catch up. \"We are already developing Euro VI-compliant vehicles,\" he said. \"At the moment, the fuel quality here is not that clean, so we cannot bring our Euro V trucks in.\"

When we asked how he would want to sway the truck operators who prefer to buy secondhand surplus trucks, he replied: \"Basically, I would tell them about the durability, efficiency and reliability of our new trucks.\"

Also on display were the various configurations that these assembled-in-the-Philippines vehicles could be adapted for. Business potential is a very big draw. Aluminum vans, boom cranes, cargo dropsides, articulated cranes with dropsides, a fuel tanker, a mobile testing van, an aerial platform, and a cargo crane were on display.

Photos by Enrico Miguel Subido