The plant has assembled 22 models, including the Luv and D-Max pickup trucks. The last pickup truck to be shipped on September 6 will be number 305,069.
Production of the Chevrolet D-Max pickup truck, the best-selling model in the Ecuadorian market -including all brands-, is coming to an end in Ecuador and with it the operation of the General Motors plant in Quito, which has assembled 22 different models of the brand for 49 years since its opening in 1975.
The iconic Vitara, or the Trooper, as well as the Luv pickup truck, the predecessor of the D-Max and the more recent Sail, are some of the models that came off the GM OBB assembly line, which will shut down after almost half a century this Friday, September 6. In an interview for the local newspaper El Universo , Juan Fernando Muñoz, product manager for Chevrolet Ecuador, comments on the history of the last model with which the assembler leaves Ecuador.
WHEN DID CHEVROLET DEVELOP THE D-MAX MODEL?
The Chevrolet D-Max is a model developed through a strategic alliance with Isuzu, a company with which General Motors has maintained collaboration agreements for several decades. It was originally developed by Isuzu in 2002; production of this model began at our plant in Ecuador in 2004, under the name Luv D-Max.
SO THE D-MAX IS THE EVOLUTION OF THE LUV MODEL?
Initially, our plant manufactured the Chevrolet Luv model, a highly versatile and market-accepted pickup truck. As part of the process of continuous improvement and evolution of the portfolio, the second generation of the pickup truck manufactured in Ecuador was called Luv D-Max and later it was called simply D-Max, as it remains to this day. Since its launch, the Chevrolet D-Max has had nine generations, each of which has incorporated new features and important innovations.
HOW MANY CHEVROLET D-MAX TRUCKS HAVE BEEN SOLD IN ECUADOR SINCE THE START OF MANUFACTURE UNTIL DATE?
Including the Chevrolet Luv model to the current Chevrolet D-Max, around 305,000 pickup trucks have been manufactured at the Ecuador plant, which were even exported to Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Chile. Currently, 4 out of 10 pickup trucks sold in Ecuador are Chevrolet D-Max. From the eighth generation (2013-2018) with 55,905 units sold, to the ninth generation (2018 to present) with 44,667 units, the Chevrolet D-Max High Power has consolidated its reputation as synonymous with power, performance and technology.
IN WHICH OTHER COUNTRIES IS THE D-MAX MODEL ASSEMBLED?
Ecuador is the last country in which the D-Max is manufactured and marketed as a model in the Chevrolet portfolio. The model is also manufactured in Thailand, Egypt, and other African countries, to supply those markets, under the Isuzu brand.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE CHEVROLET D-MAX IS THE BEST-SELLING MODEL IN ECUADOR? HAS THERE BEEN ANOTHER MODEL BEFORE THAT HAS ACHIEVED THAT ACHIEVEMENT?
Chevrolet D-Max has been the best-selling model in the Ecuadorian market since 2021, thanks to its features that have made it the preferred vehicle for customers.
The D-Max stands out for its versatility, as it responds both to customers looking for an efficient work tool, as well as to those looking for a vehicle for family use. It has spectacular performance and good fuel efficiency, thanks to its Turbo engine that provides all the power needed for heavy work.
Another important feature is its structure, chassis and suspension technology, which together provide the truck with great maneuverability and strength for work, as well as great comfort for passengers due to its interior space.
Safety is also a fundamental value in the Chevrolet D-Max, attributes such as double airbag, ABS + EBD brakes, side protection bars, resistant chassis, tire lock in case of frontal impact, crankcase cover, third brake light and even ISO FIX anchorage for child seats in the rear of the vehicle, make this vehicle one of the safest.
This is not the first vehicle from the brand to have been the best-selling model on the market; several Chevrolet models have previously held that position. Vehicles such as the Grand Vitara SZ, Aveo, or Sail, all of them assembled in our plant, were at one time the best-selling models on the entire market.
WHAT WILL BE THE NUMBER OF THE LAST TRUCK TO RUN OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6?
If we only consider the production of pickup trucks, the last unit to be manufactured at our plant will be unit 305,069, while if we consider all the models assembled since the start of activities, unit 887,297 will be manufactured on September 6.
