Following another year of growth, Irizar Asia Pacific is looking into how it can continue evolving as a brand in 2023.
Irizar Asia Pacific has been working hard on ensuring its two leading products meet customer demands and requirements for both safety and quality build.
In the i6 school charter vehicle body and the i6S coach model, Irizar Asia Pacific managing director Steve Heanes is satisfied.
“We want the industry to know that we’re here and we’ve got two great products available depending on the customer’s application,” Heanes told ABC. “We’re flexible with our options and can provide all customers with a quality product.”
The i6 and i6S models are both mainstays of Irizar’s product range currently available in Australia. Heanes says both will remain at the forefront of the bodybuilder’s offerings for 2023.
“The i6 is the workhorse of the Irizar family,” Heanes says. “It goes into both school and charter applications and offers great comfort from a passenger perspective.
“It has the flexibility to do both school or resource work, while it can also be used as a vehicle for day charters.”
The i6 is currently working in regional Western Australia, the Northern Territory and far north Queensland. Heanes says the school and charter body style has been a great asset for operators and for the Irizar brand.
The i6s coach body is obtainable in a singular configuration with a number of options accessible both internally and externally on all current European chassis in the market.
Over the past four years, Heanes says the i6S has established itself as a top-end coach. He says companies have preferred it as a coach body due to being stylish and reliable while providing a low cost of ownership.
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Heanes says these two vehicles will remain at the front of Irizar’s fleet for the foreseeable future.
Alongside this, Irizar is currently working on offering more safety packages for customers and chassis providers. This includes the brand’s iService package, which provides a full maintenance offering for the body. It ranges from two to five years to give customers on short term contracts peace of mind and a fixed cost up front.
It allows Irizar to be set to launch in 2023. Heanes says 2022 was on track to be the brand’s largest year yet in the market, before shipping constraints and supply chain issues disrupted the strong start to the year.
“Despite these issues, this year has been one of our better years and we continue to grow,” Heanes says.
“With our strong product offerings and a big order book, it’s looking good for Irizar heading into 2023.”
What to look forward to in 2023
Although Irizar will take its two main products into 2023, the brand will also begin some new projects in 2023.
Heanes says the bodybuilder is set to investigate alternative power vehicles for various applications, with the view of having the vehicles potentially available at the end of 2023 at the earliest.
“While we’re wanting to grow and stabilise the product to a degree, we’re also looking to explore the alternate fuel sector,” Heanes told ABC. “Especially in the resource area, where we have demand for high safety features and zero-emissions vehicles.”
Heanes says Irizar will ensure these new forays continue to prioritise passenger comfort.
“The market is looking strong, and we’re keen to see what we can do in the future,” Heanes says. “We’re looking to evolve our vehicles to take us into 2023 and beyond.”
To read more about Irizar’s product range heading into 2023, click here