The rise of the "truckformer"

MANILA, Philippines - If there’s anything that can be said about Filipinos, it’s that we can make just about anything (if we apply ourselves, of course).

Centro Manufacturing Corporation (CMC) president Raphael Juan took that maxim to heart and combined it with the lesson he learned from his late grandfather Maximo. “To have a successful product, (he said) we should find a need and fill it,” Juan recalls. “We thus scanned the van segment of the auto industry and found out there was a market for locally fabricated and assembled vans within a price range.”

Partnering with Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC), Juan’s CMC (which is the first ISO-certified truck builder in the country) turned that vision into the i-Van, recently launched in Makati City.

Is it a van? Is it a truck? It’s actually both. Piggybacked on the Isuzu’s popular workhorse – the NHR light truck – the i-Van is a Swiss knife of sorts. It’s a do-all, carry-all vehicle perfect for a burgeoning entrepreneurial class of Pinoys who want to haul more people and goods. At the launch, one i-Van was even configured into an ambulance.

IPC president Ryoji Yamazaki, for his part, says, “The Isuzu NHR with i-VAN body option is our answer to the growing requirements of Filipinos when it comes to people and cargo transport. It evolved from the Isuzu NHR platform that is known for its world-class durability, reliability, and fuel efficiency.”

This is not the first time that Isuzu has partnered with CMC. In 1999 IPC tapped it to design and manufacture the Isuzu Passenger Van (IPV) for its Isuzu Fuego pick-up truck.

Now, Isuzu describes the i-Van as a “versatile, more functional tool for any service-oriented business.”

Depending on configuration, the vehicle can seat 12, 16, or 18 full-sized adults or swallow 1.5 tons of cargo. At the heart of i-Van is the NHR’s 2.8-liter 4JB1-TC with intercooler diesel, delivering 91 ps of power and 20 kg.-m of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission with overdrive. Isuzu also reminds us that the NHR returned 12.965 kilometers per liter in the 2010 Isuzu Challenge, and is Euro 2 compliant.

At 1.218 million, the i-Van might appear a little on the expensive side, but you have to realize it has a true light-truck heritage. The space is also, quite frankly, obscene. There’s no need to suffer in claustrophobic silence. Head and legroom is generous. Also notable is that the i-Van dispenses of the traditional sliding door in favor of a door that swings open 90 degrees. A high-mount set of taillights also means enhanced visibility and safety.

The i-Van is also equipped with power steering; large, laminated green windshield; and large side-view mirrors. Compared to its original truck disposition, the ride has been made passenger-friendly on the i-Van via improved flex-ride suspension. Isuzu says this swings the balance towards comfort, while higher ground clearance makes it more flood defiant. 

An Isuzu release says that buyers can expect individual, fabric-covered seats with assist grips and pockets, “unlike the vinyl-covered, center-facing bench seats found in most shuttle vans. A factory-installed air-conditioning system extends up to the rear, equally distributing cool air to the entire passenger cabin. Music is delivered by a four-speaker AM/FM stereo system with an in-dash CD player. Even the floors are fully-covered, a touch of luxury unheard of in other shuttle buses. Handsome alloy wheels with 225/70 R15 radial tires round off the exterior.”

Isuzu is also putting its money where its mouth is. So confident is it of the i-Van’s quality that it is extending an “industry-leading” three-year, 100-kilometer warranty.

Significantly, the i-Van weighs the same (3.8 tons) as its NHR siblings. It is also still Class 1 on major tollways – meaning you’ll pay the lowest possible rate (if you could still call it low, but that’s another story). Suffice it to say that the i-Van presents its case as a reliable, dependable business partner.