An ambitious bid to drive Isuzu to pole position in Britain’s pick-up market has been launched by importer International Motors.

The Birmingham-based firm is planning to take the Japanese brand to the number one slot with annual registrations of around 7,000 by the end of the decade.

UK operations director Paul Tunnicliffe told Fleet News: “The world is our oyster and we’re really confident we can shake up the market with the new D-Max. With a 3.5-tonne towing capability, this vehicle easily out-performs every rival and has already made us market leader in the private sector.

“We’ve had this brand for 35 years and it is now going through its best period ever. Business is great – we will sell around 4,000 vehicles this year - and after cornering the agricultural market from the Land Rover Defender, we now want to focus on fleet sector.

“I rate anyone who wants hardworking and dependable transport as fair game – be they water companies, Network Rail, councils or housing associations – but because Isuzu is not as well known as other brands, we have an identity crises and have to get out there and start to knock on doors.”

He added: “We’re into a huge charm offensive that includes attending all the fleet events and county shows and are backing our efforts with a strong contract hire offer and the best level of specialist service available.”