The Indian arm of Japanese manufacturer Isuzu Motors on Thursday launched its MU-7 sports utility vehicle (SUV), which promises a great driving experience along with ample space and comfort.

Launched in Kochi, the longest-in-its-class MU-7 SUV is powered by four cylinder 2999cc intercooled VGS Turbo Diesel engine capable of producing power of 163 PS at rate of 3600 RPM and torque of 360NM at rate of 1800-2800 RPM.  It may be noted here that the engines of Ambassador Cars are also manufactured by Isuzu.

However, the new SUV comes at a considerable cost.  The BS4 variant of the SUV has been priced at Rs 22.93 lakh, while the BS3 variant cost Rs 22.63 lakh (ex-showroom Cochin).

The manufacturer is currently importing the completely knocked down (CKD) kits of the MU-7 SUV from Thailand and assembling them at HML in India.  The company aims to start production of the SUV from its own Sri City, Andhra Pradesh-based facility by 2016.

Takashi Kikuchi, managing director of Isuzu Motors India Private Limited, said, "In the first stage, our production capacity at Sri City will be 50,000 units per year, which will go beyond 100,000 units by 2020.  India is cheapest in manufacturing among south-east Asian countries."

Isuzu, which is trying to snatch market share from Japanese rivals Toyota and Mitsubishi, has also opened its first Kerala showroom in Kochi.  It is now preparing to open more showrooms in Bangalore, Madurai, Visakhapatnam and Theni within a period of next six months.