Company: Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc.

Website: www.isuzucv.com

Equipment Snapshot: Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. recently announced major running changes that will enhance its 2022 interim model year N-Series diesel trucks. The trucks—designated as model year 2022i—were announced by the company during the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Week 2021 virtual trade-show event.  

The improvements include the addition of an optional Advanced Driver Assistance System that includes Automatic Emergency Braking and a Lane Departure Warning System; standard Electronic Vehicle Stability Control, new standard and optional fuel tanks; standard four-wheel disc brakes; refreshed exterior and interior design; and more.

“The positive economic outlook for 2021 suggests that the medium-duty segment will grow this year,” said Shaun C. Skinner, president of both Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada. “These changes to the foundation of our lineup—our Class 3 through 5 N-Series diesel-powered trucks—respond to our customers’ requests and come at the perfect time to take advantage of growth in this segment.”

Standard on all 2022i N-Series diesel models will be Electronic Vehicle Stability Control (EVSC). EVSC monitors the truck’s steering wheel angle, individual wheel rotation speed, lateral G forces and more. When the system senses that the vehicle is at risk of losing stability, it alerts the driver via an on-dash warning light and automatically reduces engine output and applies braking pressure as needed to help the truck maintain stability.

EVSC works in tandem with Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), an advanced traction-control system that works to provide grip when the truck is on loose or wet surfaces. ASR will also be standard on all 2022i N-Series diesel trucks.

Both EVSC and ASR can be manually deactivated by the driver through switches conveniently located on the instrument panel.

An all-new Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) will be optional on all models in the 2022i N-Series diesel truck range. The ADAS package consists of an Automatic Emergency Braking System and a Lane Departure Warning System. Both of these features utilize a new dual-camera sensing system mounted atop the vehicle’s dashboard.

The optional Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEBS) includes both vehicle and pedestrian detection. The system will warn the driver with both visual and audible alerts and, if necessary, will automatically apply braking force to reduce vehicle speed. AEBS can be deactivated through an instrument panel-mounted switch.

The optional Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) uses the dual-camera sensing system to “read” the lines on the road ahead. If a driver strays too far from the road’s center, both visual and audio alerts will warn the driver. As an added convenience, LDWS allows the driver to adjust the system’s sensitivity through a switch on the instrument panel.

For customers who do not order the optional Advanced Driver Assistance System, Isuzu will continue to offer the Mobileye suite of collision and lane-departure warning systems as optional equipment.

Isuzu will add rear disc brakes to the already-standard front disc brakes on the MY 2022i NPR-HD, NPR-XD, NQR and NRR diesel models. The NPR-HD will feature front and rear 293mm × 40mm discs, while the NPR-XD, NQR and NRR will offer 363mm × 42mm discs up front and 348mm × 42mm discs in the rear.

The discs are part of a new Vacuum + Power Assist Brake System with anti-locking braking (ABS). At the limit point of normal vacuum assist, a hydraulic unit will provide additional line pressure. Vacuum assist is a new standard feature for both the NQR and NRR.

Fuel tank improvements abound in the 2022i N-Series diesel truck. The standard 30-gallon fuel tank will now be constructed of stainless steel rather than conventional steel to improve corrosion resistance. The tank will also be flush mounted to the top of the frame and will feature top-mounted, three-eighths-inch fuel return and fuel supply ports to help eliminate cutting and drilling the tank during auxiliary fuel port applications.

Two aluminum side-mounted fuel tanks will be available as factory-installed options:

• A 35-gallon tank will be offered for Standard Cab and Crew Cab models with either the 150- or 176-inch wheelbase.
• A 55-gallon tank will be offered for Standard Cab and Crew Cab models with the 176-inch wheelbase.

Both optional tanks will be left-hand-side mounted. The previous optional 33-gallon right-hand-side mounted tank has been discontinued.

A larger fuel sedimenter/filter on 2022i N-Series diesel trucks will allow for improved service intervals. The water separator body will feature a translucent red body, making it easy to identify and to determine when water needs to be drained.

A heater will be standard with the fuel sedimenter/filter.

Customers will notice a number of design changes both inside and outside the 2022i N-Series diesel trucks.

On the exterior, bi-LED headlamps with signature light will deliver more light and less heat than halogen bulbs in both low- and high-beam modes. These lamps, plus turn signals with a new shape and accent brow, surround a standard matte silver grille, replacing the previous white grille. A chrome grille will remain an option.

Inside Isuzu’s famous Hexapod cab, customers will see darker gray color schemes on the lower section coupled with darker accents including the steering wheel, gear shift lever, parking brake lever and other controls, while lighter gray components up above create a greater sense of spaciousness. Seating surfaces will now be covered in a gray and blue cross-pattern tricot fabric that adds a modern look and feel while reducing the appearance of stains and scuffs.

The 2022i Isuzu N-Series diesel-powered trucks will begin production in July 2021, and will be available at Isuzu’s network of nearly 300 dealers in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2021.  Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada will also distribute 2022i Isuzu N-Series diesel-powered trucks through its dealers.  

“We’re excited to introduce our new 2022i N-Series diesel trucks today,” Skinner said. “They bring new levels of safety, driver assistance, convenience and comfort to our customers, and they are sure to help us maintain Isuzu’s position as the number-one-selling low cab forward truck in the North American market for the 36^th year in a row.”