Truck and Bus News had the chance to drive a wide cross section of Isuzu’s latest generation of trucks at a drive program in late 2025 and came away impress, not just impressed but convinced that the market leader has unveiled a range that is only going to make it harder for its opponents has proven to be a landmark year for both Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) and the broader heavy commercial vehicle industry in Australia.
Isuzu Trucks has racked up 37 consecutive years of market leadership off the back of the launch of the all-new MY25 Isuzu truck range, and the industry saw the introduction of new Australian Design Rules setting new safety and emissions benchmarks for Australia’s truck fleet.
The last time Isuzu rolled out an entirely new lineup of series trucks was way back in 2008. They may have been around for a long time but it didn’t stop buyers snapping up more Isuzus than any other brand on the market.
We were given the opportunity to try a number of light medium and heavy duty models across a day driving to the Bellarine Peninsula south of Geelong and then back to Isuzu HQ in the western suburbs of Sydney to see how the new trucks stack up and compare with the venerable models they repkace.
The drive included a variety of conditions with a bit of highway work, a bit of city work, and some secondary country roads, typical of the sort of work day these trucks engage in every day.
The new models have a degree of familiarity, but beneath the skin and in a range of cosmetic points the new models have changed quite a bit.
The fact is these new trucks are brimming with the latest technology and feature the most current advanced driver systems, similar to what has come to be expected in the latest passenger cars and utes.
Exterior improvements include such things as bi-LED headlights long with an array of cameras and radars to protect the trucks from a variety of hazards encountered on the road every day. We have to admit that we aren’t huge fans of too much ‘override tech’ when it comes to over zealous lane keep assist, active cruise control and other such technology. We believe that you can take too much out of the hands of the driver and this will breed an increasing lack of focus and attention, but we also realise that turning back this tide is just not possible, so we will live with it.
Styling wise the grilles for the new range have been redesigned and the overall appearance and presence of the new models is much more contemporary.
They are still distinctively Isuzu and recognized as such. Styling with vehicles can be quite a subjective choice but we have to admit the contemporary update of the Isuzu truck look is impressive and we like them. We are sure buyers probably will too.
Under the cabin the big change is of course the power train compliance with the latest ADRs, which of course means they are now powered entirely by Euro 6 compliant engines.
The company has taken its well proven three and 5.2 liter engines and given them a big clean up adding the AdBlue dependent SCR treatment as an after treatment system to reduce emissions. The old dependance on EGR just won’t cut it for Euro 6, and while Isuz made it work for a long time the new ADRs mean it had to go with SCR to meet them.
One of the biggest change particularly for the N Series is the new Isuzu nine-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox, which is equipped with a torque converter, which smooths out any nasty A/MT ‘snatch’ and hesitations, smoothing out the driveline and making them much nicer to drive.
These also offer much better punch you off the line and now has to ranks as one of the best and most impressive gearbox in light trucks. The gearbox shifts better and is smoother and puts many dual cab utes to shame.
The existing six-speed AMT is still available but we would be seeking out the nine-speed for better driveability, performance, comfort and ease of operation . We reckon Isuzu is on a winner again.
Inside the cab the first thing you notice is the much smaller steering wheel , so driving a light truck has the same feel as you would get from driving a contemporary dual cab ute. It is like a lot of things in this new range, much more car-like.
In the middle of the dash is a very impressive 10.1 inch infotainment screen, which again makes the cab of an Isuzu truck much more car-like. It features all the things you need including Appe CarPay and Android Auto, ie smartphone mirroring, navigation, in fact everything you need for a safe, capable and comfortable and informed driving experience.
The navigation system has also been adapted for the truck and is obviously mapped for operating the particular vehicle adapting routes to suit weight and size and height of the vehicle, so you won’t be led down a road you shouldn’t and end up with a potential fine.
The biggest technology update in Isuzu range we reckon is the active and passive safety systems, which now totals around 15 safety tech systems.
These include everything from Lane Departure Warning to active pedestrian detection making these trucks safer than ever for both the driver and other road users.
,Driving the new Isuzus is a revelation when it comes to ergonomics, with not only a new steering wheel, but also an all new steering wheel position while the dash has become much easier to read with more info and a better display.
The seats have also had a big improvement, not just in terms of the comfort but also in position, which promotes a much better driving position, sitting a little bit further back, and again delivering a more car like experience.
The new range also feature a new automatic park brake, sio as soon as you engage park, the hand brake automatically engages, avoiding any unnecessary or unwanted rolling incidents.
On the dash the between the tachometer and speedometer, there is a new electronic display that borrows a lot from the sister Isuzu D-Max utes. It obviously shows a fuel gauge, an adblue gauge , temperature gauge as well as a tripmeter, fuel consumption readout and information on vehicles around you such as the speed of the vehicle passing you or in front and a distance setting.
It’s a very accurate system, and it is very easy to read and use.
We were really impressed by the 5.2 litre engine, but of course there is still the very torquey and flexible smaller three litre engine. With a modular design they are both basically the same engines, with different capacities.
From the drivability standpoint, the engines feel better, more driveable and a bot more flexible.
This is partly because of the integration with the transmissions, which do shift quicker and smoother. They also down shifts faster and deliver better control.
The now electrically assisted power steering is really superb, very precise, light but with good feel and feedback to the driver.
These are much more advanced trucks right across the range, but ultimately, with the ADR rule change and the fact that everything is now Euro six, it’s presented Isuzu with the chance to add a lot of active safety andupdate the range across the board.
If you’re on the road every day, as most truck operators and drivers are, you the new Isuzus will give you lots more safety, much more efficient engines, better transmissions and a lot more comfort and driveability.
We reckon a lot more buyers will be looking at Isuzu in the future as a result of these trucks making it even harder for its market opponents. Here comes 38 years of market dominance.
