Isuzu Philippines to launch Traviz commercial vehicle this November

Remember the Isuzu VT02 concept vehicle that was shown to the public during the Philippine International Motor Show last 2018? Well, Isuzu Philippines is bringing in the truck it was based on to the local market. While its original name in Indonesia is the Traga, it will have a different name in the local market. When it is sold in the country, it will be called the Travis.

The Traviz gets the best of both worlds when it comes to weight. The truck features a derivative frame of the D-Max and the cab of the popular N-Series of trucks. These two traits give the vehicle loading and fuel efficiency, according to Isuzu.

In case you’re wondering why it took a while before Isuzu launches the new commercial vehicle, Isuzu had to solve two issues before bringing in the Traviz. The first was that the Traga was initially built for right-hand-drive countries. The Japanese automaker had to find a way to produce left-hand-drive units for our market. The next problem is environmental standards in the Philippines. In order to bring the light truck in it had to meet Euro IV emissions, something that the Traga does not meet in its home country of Indonesia. Indonesia has different environmental standards, and the Traga originally comes with a Euro II engine instead. 

Since the launch date has been confirmed, it seems as though Isuzu has found a way to solve both problems. Rumor has it that Isuzu Philippines will be producing the Traviz in its Sta. Rosa plant to convert it to left-hand drive. 

What is unknown is what kind of engine Isuzu will put into it. It's not a significant problem for the company as it has a host of Euro IV engines ready to be used for the Philippine market. Another unknown is what variants of the Traviz will Isuzu Philippines bring in.

The Isuzu Traviz will be officially launching in the Philippines on November 12, 2019, at the SMX Convention Center.  We will update you with more information as we get it regarding the lightweight commercial truck.