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2003 Isuzu Ascender Preview

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Khatir Soltani

2003 Isuzu Ascender - Redundant or Not It'll Be One Great SUV

Does this SUV look familiar? It should. The Ascender, taking over for the aging Trooper, is basically a badge-engineered Chevy Trailblazer. Or is it derived from the GMC Envoy? Or maybe I'm mistaken. Could it be the Oldsmobile Bravada? No, that model is getting phased out along with the Oldsmobile nameplate and being restyled as the Buick Rainier for the 2004 model year. What am I saying? Word has it Cadillac is considering building a midsize SUV off of the platform as well, Hummer too. Can you spot a pattern here?

First of all, there's nothing wrong with taking advantage of economies of scale in order to maximize the return on an investment. At first glance the fact that GM is building a virtual replica of its Chevy, GMC and Oldsmobile sport utility with an Isuzu badge seems like an exercise in redundancy. Then, taking into consideration that Isuzu reaches a much larger global audience than GM's traditional brands will for a very long time if ever, it makes perfect sense.

But still, does launching yet another SUV primarily targeted at the United States and Canada make sense? Is it reasonable to question if the market for SUVs in North America has become saturated? A news item in the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun stated that Isuzu, who reduced production of its SUVs at its Indiana plant in April, plans to temporarily lay off approximately 200 of its reported 3,100 workers. The paper cited diminishing sales of sport utilities in the United States as the reason for Isuzu's decision. Reduced sales of SUVs? While there will be a time when sport utilities fall out of favor with Joe Public, that won't happen until fuel prices move beyond the reach of moderate income earners. My guess as to why they've 'temporarily' laid off workers? Probably because of reduced interest in Isuzu's aging Trooper. It's pretty safe to say that the all-new SUV should drive the need to increase production.

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
As a car enthusiast, he tests and compares vehicles from different categories through the eyes of the consumer, ensuring relevant and objective reviews.
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada