GM to sell rebadged Isuzu medium duty trucks

Gorehamj · June 15, 2015

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
6/15/2015

Let's start off with a clarification - Medium duty trucks are not pickup trucks like the Silverado and Sierra. They are the larger trucks used for delivery and other work purposes like the ones in the photo (from Isuzu's commercial truck page) and larger.

General Motors left the medium duty truck business following the 2008-2009 period that ended in a bankruptcy restructuring. According to the Wall Street Journal, GM is planning to procure and market Isuzu-built trucks for the US medium duty truck market. The plan is to brand these trucks "Chevrolet."

General Motors was once very strong in this truck business. The industry has grown while GM was away, and this seems just one more example of General Motors moving back to the market position it was in leading up to the troubling times in the mid to late 2000s.

newdude · June 15, 2015

Interesting. The old W series is back?

KMGZ400 · June 16, 2015

GM really needs to make a 4500 or a kodiak.. The bigger fords and dodges dominate the landscaper, towing, construction etcindustries

Chris · June 16, 2015

Well GM needs a 4500 to match the 3500 in looks. Ford skates by with putting a 450 up against the 3500 of Ram and GM.

Mattt · June 19, 2015

Well GM needs a 4500 to match the 3500 in looks. Ford skates by with putting a 450 up against the 3500 of Ram and GM.

I've owned a Chevy 3500 in the past. I currently own an F450 crew cab stake bed that left the factory as a cab/chassis. I would completely disagree with your statement. The F450 is MILES above the GM or Dodge 3500.....hands down! This F450 has held up very well....brakes still original with 101k, trans original. I can't say the same about a Chevy 3500. Ford really stepped up and did it right with the F450/F550 for medium duty. I test drove the 4500/5500 Kodiak trucks in '06 before buying the F450, thoroughly NOT impressed with the 4500/5500 Kodiak truck....bought the Ford and happy for it.

Besides....who wants to support a Government Motors(Taxpayer funded, Union Blow Hard) former shell of itself type company???? Not me. I was died in the wool blue until GM became Government Motors. Shame on them for taking taxpayer money instead of getting their house in order the right way....with a budget like the rest of us Americans. Other than a few signature vehilces, look at the crap GM makes now, with more TAXPAYER MONEY GIVE AWAY....like the Volt.

I'll stay with my Ford and my old, pre-Governement Motors, GM....a 2004 Tahoe.

Chris · June 19, 2015

I've owned a Chevy 3500 in the past. I currently own an F450 crew cab stake bed that left the factory as a cab/chassis. I would completely disagree with your statement. The F450 is MILES above the GM or Dodge 3500.....hands down! This F450 has held up very well....brakes still original with 101k, trans original. I can't say the same about a Chevy 3500. Ford really stepped up and did it right with the F450/F550 for medium duty. I test drove the 4500/5500 Kodiak trucks in '06 before buying the F450, thoroughly NOT impressed with the 4500/5500 Kodiak truck....bought the Ford and happy for it.

Besides....who wants to support a Government Motors(Taxpayer funded, Union Blow Hard) former shell of itself type company???? Not me. I was died in the wool blue until GM became Government Motors. Shame on them for taking taxpayer money instead of getting their house in order the right way....with a budget like the rest of us Americans. Other than a few signature vehilces, look at the crap GM makes now, with more TAXPAYER MONEY GIVE AWAY....like the Volt.

I'll stay with my Ford and my old, pre-Governement Motors, GM....a 2004 Tahoe.

Ford has to use the 450 because the 350 wont stand up with the 3500. And the Govt motors comments from Ford Fanboys gets old. Before GM got the big public bailout, Ford was taking tax payer bailout funds. All 3 major US automakers needed assistance. Ford did it first and it was not as public. And before you call me something of a Fanboy, i do on a regular basis drive a Range Rover made in the Ford era, a 09 Mercedes C350, and i am in the process of rebuilding a 2011 F150 Lariat that is a Salvage.

SLESierra · June 19, 2015

I've owned a Chevy 3500 in the past. I currently own an F450 crew cab stake bed that left the factory as a cab/chassis. I would completely disagree with your statement. The F450 is MILES above the GM or Dodge 3500.....hands down! This F450 has held up very well....brakes still original with 101k, trans original. I can't say the same about a Chevy 3500. Ford really stepped up and did it right with the F450/F550 for medium duty. I test drove the 4500/5500 Kodiak trucks in '06 before buying the F450, thoroughly NOT impressed with the 4500/5500 Kodiak truck....bought the Ford and happy for it.

Besides....who wants to support a Government Motors(Taxpayer funded, Union Blow Hard) former shell of itself type company???? Not me. I was died in the wool blue until GM became Government Motors. Shame on them for taking taxpayer money instead of getting their house in order the right way....with a budget like the rest of us Americans. Other than a few signature vehilces, look at the crap GM makes now, with more TAXPAYER MONEY GIVE AWAY....like the Volt.

I'll stay with my Ford and my old, pre-Governement Motors, GM....a 2004 Tahoe.

known fact the F450 is what ford puts up against both the GM and RAM 3500 series trucks. The RAM 3500 series being the king of the pullers when it comes to the class.

Just a FYI the same month GM went into Bankruptcy (June 2009)- Ford borrowed 5.9 Billion from the Government to stay afloat. I believe they asked for an extension to 2022 when they borrowed it as well on other loans they had taken in 2009.

Chevor · June 19, 2015

My 2010 2500 has held up well.

Doug_Scott · June 19, 2015

Why do people totally ignore that if GM was not bailed out it would have sent the entire GM employee workforce to the unemployment line. That means no income tax for the government from those people, and no corperation taxes from GM. It also means loss of jobs for a very large number of people that work in the out-source companies.

That being said, the part I personally did not like was the government letting GM tell them how much they needed to complete the bail-out. GM figured out what they needed, then added 10% on the top. They did that for one simple reason, they knew up front that they were only going to have to repay 10% of the bailout. By taking the extra 10%, it allowed them to repay their bailout "years ahead of schedule". Amazing how many fell for it.

Chevor · June 19, 2015

The Banks really F'ed everyone.

galliher_nc · June 19, 2015

I've owned a Chevy 3500 in the past. I currently own an F450 crew cab stake bed that left the factory as a cab/chassis. I would completely disagree with your statement. The F450 is MILES above the GM or Dodge 3500.....hands down! This F450 has held up very well....brakes still original with 101k, trans original. I can't say the same about a Chevy 3500. Ford really stepped up and did it right with the F450/F550 for medium duty. I test drove the 4500/5500 Kodiak trucks in '06 before buying the F450, thoroughly NOT impressed with the 4500/5500 Kodiak truck....bought the Ford and happy for it.

Besides....who wants to support a Government Motors(Taxpayer funded, Union Blow Hard) former shell of itself type company???? Not me. I was died in the wool blue until GM became Government Motors. Shame on them for taking taxpayer money instead of getting their house in order the right way....with a budget like the rest of us Americans. Other than a few signature vehilces, look at the crap GM makes now, with more TAXPAYER MONEY GIVE AWAY....like the Volt.

I'll stay with my Ford and my old, pre-Governement Motors, GM....a 2004 Tahoe.

I'd agree with most of what you said. I wasn't a fan of the government getting involved in private industry and bailing out a failing corporation and GM has nobody to blame but themselves for being in that position in the first place, but I take exception with your second statement.

It's the fault of a lot of those old pre-Government Motors vehicles that GM was in trouble. The Full-Size SUVs, P/U's and Corvette were alright, but their small cars and SUVs were complete pieces of crap. The Cruze is by far the best small car Chevrolet has ever put on their lots, the new Impala is world class, the C7 is the best Corvette ever and these K2 trucks and SUVs blow any prior model away. The Volt is also a great vehicle and is actually quite fun to drive.

You should take a look at some of the new stuff GM has out there. I think you'd be surprised at how much nice and better put together it is than your old Tahoe.

Back on topic, this is a good move for GM and I hope they build upon and build a conventional class 4/5 chassis cab as well.