ISUZU has introduced a new entry-level version of its Rodeo pick-up for under £10,000 and launched a scheme to make all models more affordable to business users.
The company says it has devised a crunch-busting contract hire initiative to stimulate sales during what it refers to as "these difficult times."
Users can now run the Rodeo 4x2 Single Cab for £187 a month, the Rodeo Denver 4x4 Double Cab for £235 a month and the new range-topping Denver Max LE for £426 a month.
Each needs a £3,000 deposit with 35 monthly payments and excludes maintenance and VAT.
There is also a 10,000-miles-a-year limit with charges of almost ten pence per mile if the limit is exceeded.
For those wishing to buy the vehicles outright, the new 3.0-litre Rodeo Denver Max LE is £20,000 and the new 2.5 litre Rodeo 4x2 Single Cab is just one pound shy of £10,000, excluding VAT.
Featuring the same equipment as the previous 2.5 litre Denver Max LE, the new five-seat, four-door Double Cab 4x4 model gets a more powerful 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine that makes the previous Prodrive Performance Pack unnecessary.
Power is 163bhp at 3,600 rpm while torque is 265lb ft at 1,800 rpm in manual form and 245lb ft as an automatic.
Economy figures are 33mpg and 31mpg for the manual and automatic models with emissions of 222 and 237g/km respectively. Top speed is 110mph with a 0-60 mph time of 10.3 seconds for the manual and 10.8 seconds for the automatic.
Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, stainless steel side steps and leather seats and door inserts, an LE mesh grille, load-liner and a hard top, touch screen sat-nav with DVD and Bluetooth.
The Max has chrome side steps, rear step bumper, rear light guards and brushed steel door entry guards plus air-conditioning, four electric windows, leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless-entry and selectable 'shift-on-the-fly' 4WD or 2WD at speeds of up to 60 mph.
The new entry-level Rodeo 4x2 Single Cab comes with central-locking, electric windows, a radio with single CD player and MP3 capability, twin front airbags, power steering, a five-speed manual gearbox and a rear limited-slip differential.
There is also a new 2.5 litre turbo-diesel engine producing 136bhp and 217lb ft of torque with economy of 38mpg and CO2 emissions of 196g/km. Compared to the previous 2.5-litre Rodeo equivalent, the top speed rises by 16mph to 110 mph and economy is 3mpg better.
In addition, the CO2 for the new Denver 4x2 Single Cab drops by 18g/km and the 0-60 mph time is lowered to 10.5 seconds.