Company: Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc.

Website: www.isuzucv.com

Equipment Snapshot: Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc., distributor of America’s best-selling low cab forward trucks, has announced production plans for its 2019 and 2020 model-year lineup. Highlighting the announcement, which the company made at the National Truck Equipment Association’s 2019 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, the addition of two new Class 5 gasoline engine models next year.

“We are celebrating the 35th anniversary of Isuzu trucks in the North American market this year, and what better way to mark the occasion than to expand our lineup,” said Shaun C. Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada. “We’re thrilled to bring the convenience and low cost of ownership of our N-Series gasoline truck to Class 5 and a whole new group of customers.”

A prototype is available for viewing at Isuzu’s display at the NTEA event in Booth #4639 at the Indiana Convention Center.

Two Class 5 models are planned:  the NQR Gas (with a target GVWR of 17,950 lbs.) and the NRR Gas (with a target GVWR of 19,500 lbs.). Both will be powered by a General Motors 6.0-liter Vortec V8 supplied by PSI and will be mated to an Allison 1000 RDS transmission with PTO gear.

Production is expected to begin in mid-2020.

In addition to the Class 5 gasoline trucks, Isuzu announced a number of refinements to its returning lineup of diesel- and gas-powered trucks, including new driver-assistance and audio options for all models.

Beginning in May 2019, all Isuzu N-Series and F-Series trucks will be available with a suite of Mobileye advanced driver-assistance features. The package includes:

  • Forward Collision Warning
  • Pedestrian Collision Warning
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Headway Monitoring Warning

Active at any speed, Forward Collision Warning alerts drivers of an imminent rear-end collision with a car, truck or motorcycle up to 2.7 seconds in advance.

Pedestrian Collision Warning notifies the driver of a pedestrian or cyclist in the danger zone, and alerts the driver of an imminent collision. Operational during daylight hours only, this feature is active at speeds under 31 miles per hour.

Lane Departure Warning monitors lane markings and alerts drivers with visual and audible warnings when a lane deviation occurs without proper signal activation. The system employs both a left- and right-lane warning icon and is active over 34 miles per hour.

Headway Monitoring Warning helps drivers maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead, providing visual and audible alerts if the distance becomes unsafe. Active at speeds above 19 miles per hour, the system displays the amount of time, in seconds, to the vehicle ahead. When the time becomes 2.5 seconds or less, and is no longer considered safe, an alert is provided.

The Mobileye suite of driver-assistance features will carry a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $1,132.

Mobileye, an Intel Company, has been a leader in driver-assistance technology since 1999. Currently, 30 million vehicles are equipped with Mobileye technology.

Also starting in May 2019, all Isuzu N-Series and F-Series trucks will offer new audio and backup camera options.

The Alpine iLX-207 audio upgrade ($1,264 MSRP) features a seven-inch VGA touchscreen display and Bluetooth hands-free capability. The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and, with an additional tuner, SiriusXM satellite radio.

For an additional $200, the upgraded audio system can be augmented with the Alpine HCE-C1100 backup camera. Thanks to High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, the display offers incredible image quality in varying levels of light, eliminating “washout” common when going from areas of heavy shade into areas with bright sunlight. Parking is more precise thanks to the camera’s 131-degree horizontal viewing angle and 103-degree vertical viewing angle.