The legendary fifth generation Isuzu KB bakkie will no longer be produced, and the last unit rolled down the assembly line at General Motors South Africa’s (GMSA) Struandale plant in Port Elizabeth at the end of November.

The first Isuzu was built in South Africa in 1979 and this, the fifthgeneration of Isuzu’s KB 1 t workhorse, was first launched in the South African market in August 2004 with sales figures of 1 326 units sold per month and over 140 060 units sold in its generation’s lifetime.

The Isuzu KB has been delivering for business, fleet and individual private owners throughout South Africa with over 12% market share driven by a comprehensive range of over 20 locally engineered model derivatives in its eight-year lifecycle.

“Building the last unit of the fifthgeneration Isuzu KB was an emotional feeling. Obviously there is some retrospection now that we are leaving some history behind us, but also an understanding that we need to continue to evolve and stay ahead with competitive product,” says Clayton Whitaker, GMSA Plant Manager.