Once a solid player in the midsize-SUV market, Isuzu has finally decided to cut its losses. The company will stop selling light-duty vehicles in North America as of January 31, 2009. Last year, sales ran about 7100 units--less than 10 years ago, Isuzu was selling 100,000 vehicles a year and supplying them for rebadging to Honda and Acura. Vehicles like the Rodeo, VehiCross, Trooper, and Axiom were moderate hits, but the design studio lost its way and the parent company sometimes seemed more interested in the highly profitable commercial segment than the growing SUV market.
Isuzu had been reduced to selling a rebadged Chevy TrailBlazer as the Isuzu Ascender and rebadged Chevy Colorado pickups, called the Isuzu i-290 and i-370. Commercial vehicles, dealerships, and service centers will still exist.