At a time when India is reeling from setbacks caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and is observing a 21-day lockdown, vehicle manufacturers have ceased production and are having to change future plans. Isuzu is one of them, and the maker of utility vehicles has announced it has pushed the launch of its BS6-compliant range due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Isuzu – which retails the D-Max pickup for commercial buyers and the V-Cross pickup and MU-X SUV for private buyers – is a niche player in the Indian market (1,404 units sold between April 2019-February 2020), and has only had BS4 models on sale so far. Now, the company has confirmed that BS6-compliant versions of its utility vehicles will only be launched sometime in the second quarter of FY2021 (between July and September 2020).

Only BS6-compliant models can be registered in India post April 2020, and having already cleared all BS4 stocks, Isuzu will not have any models on sale here till the BS6-compliant range is launched later this year. The UV manufacturer has previously said prices of the BS6-compliant V-Cross and MU-X will be higher by up to Rs 3-4 lakh. For now, the company will focus on exports, a source told Autocar India.

Additionally, for existing owners of its vehicles, Isuzu will also extend the validity of warranties and services due to expire between March 15 and April 15, to May 31, 2020.

Last year, Isuzu launched a midlife update for the V-Cross pickup in India and revealed the next-gen V-Cross internationally.