Isuzu Trucks 2025 Range Preview

The last time Isuzu Trucks rolled out an all-new range of N Series and F Series trucks was 2008, back when Australia won 14 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, Kate Ritchie won a Gold Logie, and Facebook turned four. Yes, the current range is almost as old as Facebook.

But now, some 17 years later, the sales-topping truck-maker has unveiled its all-new N Series and F Series range to dealers and select media, offering trucksales a behind-the-scenes look at a few pre-production models and even a short test drive.

To call the current range ‘dominant’ would be an understatement, considering the brand has now topped the sales charts for 36 consecutive years. At the end of March 2025, Isuzu leads the light-duty and medium-duty segments by a significant margin, while also outselling the second-placed brand by nearly three to one in overall truck sales.

With longstanding success comes serious pressure to remain on top, and the new range will need to hit the ground running if Isuzu is to retain its standing Down Under. Based on our first look, though, the truck-maker has taken its proven package and modernised it, without messing with the work-ready formula operators have come to love.

The new light-duty N Series and medium-duty F Series models will officially launch at the Brisbane Truck Show in May, but we were offered an up-close look at select pre-production models in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

We examined the NLR 45-150, NNR 45-150, NPR 45/65-175, FRD 110-240 and FVR 170-260, which gave us a fairly good understanding of the broader range ahead of its launch.

However, finalised specifications will be confirmed closer to the launch date, and the models we tested are still test mules that could change slightly between now and their official launch.

Starting with the N Series range, Isuzu Trucks has redesigned the popular light truck from the ground up, using its longstanding design philosophy of Safety, Economy and Environment (SEE).

This design philosophy can be found across the new models, from the exterior features like the fresh three-piece grille, to bi-LED headlights with daytime running lights, and a heavily reimagined interior.

The interior treatment is more car-like than ever, while still retaining the function-over-form utility a truck needs, with an improved seating position and a smaller repositioned steering wheel (its diameter reduced from 460mm to 440mm).

Isuzu has included a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, as well as a smaller 7.0-inch digital display that sits between the speedo and tacho, controllable via a range of buttons on the steering wheel. Wired smartphone connectivity is included, too.

This interior will be well suited to the increasing number of operators who are new to trucks, but it’s a better place to be no matter who you are. So, in theory, a company driver could jump from a passenger car into a light truck with minimal acclimatisation.

Safety across the range is top tier too, with a full suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that use a dual-lens camera and radar technology to offer features like full-speed adaptive cruise control, an intelligent speed limiter and an intersection warning system, among the 15 active and passive safety functions on offer.

Underpinning the new models is Isuzu’s new Modular Architecture and Component Standard (I-MACS) platform, which is a powertrain-agnostic chassis that allows components and other equipment to be interchanged across models.

Of course, the new range is Euro 6 compliant, ahead of the ADR 80/04 regulations that come into play later this year for all heavy vehicles.

Three power ratings across Isuzu’s 3.0-litre and 5.2-litre engine options will be offered across the N Series models. There’s an output of 110kW/375Nm for models with a car-licence-friendly GVM of 4500kg, a new rating of 129kW/430Nm in the mid-range NPR, and a grunty 140kW option for models with higher GVMs, like the top-spec 8800kg NQR.

In meeting those ADR 80/04 emissions standards, the new engines now adopt a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system requiring AdBlue, making for improved tail-pipe emissions.

A significant upgrade over the current generation comes in the form of Isuzu’s new patented dual-clutch nine-speed transmission, which also features a torque converter for strong performance off the line.

This new dual-clutch transmission offers full-power millisecond upshifts to retain torque and it features two overdrive gears, enhancing highway economy.

The larger F Series models bring similar updates, with 15 model variants ranging in GVM from 11 tonnes to 26 tonnes, along with the introduction of an all-new ‘red’ engine.

Visual changes include intelligent bi-LED lighting that includes daytime running lights, with smaller FRR and FSR models integrating the headlights into the cabin, while larger FV and 4x4 models score bumper-mounted lights. Unlike its smaller sibling, though, the F Series models also get an adaptive high-beam feature.

The cabin is a serious step-up in terms of comfort and technology, now featuring an ergonomic ISRI driver’s seat with heating and cooling, a multi-information display between the tacho and speedo, and a 10.1-inch multimedia display.

Isuzu will offer the F Series with a choice of day, rest and crew-cab variants, making this the first time the brand will offer the roomier rest cabin in its four-cylinder models in Australia. Think of the rest cab like an ‘extra’ cab in a ute, giving operators additional space behind the seats.

Like its smaller sibling, the F Series is also Euro 6 compliant and in its largest form features a new engine co-developed with Cummins – the cleanest powertrain ever seen in the F Series range.

The new 6.7-litre six-cylinder DB6A engine, co-developed with Cummins but built at Isuzu’s Tochigi Engine Plant in Japan, is offered with outputs of either 191kW or 221kW, and is exclusively mated to an Allison Gen 6 six-speed automatic.

Isuzu explained that the new Cummins uses an SCR system and diesel particulate diffuser (DPD) to meet Euro 6 standards, but the new engine does away with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). It’s a move many operators will applaud – because who wants an engine that inhales its own waste?

A Euro 6 compliant four-cylinder engine is still available for lighter GVM models, producing 177kW, with the option of a six-speed manual or six-speed automated manual gearbox.

Safety is also a serious focus in the new F Series models, with 12 active and passive safety systems as standard, which use a camera mounted low in the windscreen and a long-range milli-wave radar located within the bumper.

Features include lane departure warning, attention assist warning, traffic movement warning, traffic sign recognition with intelligent speed limiter, distance warning, advanced emergency braking, and full-speed adaptive cruise.

The new range will benefit from the Isuzu Care customer support program, which includes a six-year warranty and six years of 24/7 roadside assistance.

We were offered a brief but informative drive of selected examples of the new N Series and F Series models, loaded to around 50 per cent of their maximum payload. The drive, while short, gave us a taste of the new models ahead of their launch at the Brisbane Truck Show.

These were admittedly pre-production models, so the final iterations of each model variant may change, but we can safely assume they’ll be pretty similar.

The first thing we noticed in both model ranges, aside from the obvious external differences, was the premium cabin appointment. These are stepping into car territory, with interiors that are equal parts comfortable and functional.

Our first jaunt was in the car-licence-suitable 4500kg GVM NLR 45-150 Traypack, powered by a 110kW four-cylinder diesel mated to the new nine-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The nine-speed ’box transforms the N Series, with punchy acceleration and shift speeds that would put a lot of dual-cab utes to shame, with the torque converter eliminating the ‘lag’ many dual-clutch ’boxes exhibit off the line. A genius solution, really.

While the current six-speed automated manual transmission is a good unit, the extra few cogs make all the difference, and less throttle is required when accelerating because you lose next to no momentum during upshifts. This will surely lead to improved fuel use for many operators.

Then there’s the smaller steering wheel, positioned to feel more like that of a car, which was noticeable when we encountered the first roundabout. We went to grab for the wheel, only to find it’s always right there within arm’s reach. Who’d have thought a slightly smaller wheel would make such a difference?

The engine sounds quieter too, being a new version of the proven 4J line, offering smooth power and the full whack of its 375Nm of torque at just 2800rpm. In reality though, torque is strong off idle and this engine is happy lugging.

Importantly, the brakes feel great too, which we were told is likely down to larger rotors. The N Series also features electronic brakeforce distribution, as well as autonomous emergency braking for additional peace of mind.

Stepping up into the FRD 110-240, powered by Isuzu’s four-cylinder 4HK1-TCH that produces 177kW and is mated to a six-speed automated manual, a similar cabin experience is instantly noticeable.

Of course, being a medium-duty truck it’s less car-like than the N Series, but it’s still a far cry from the current model with more technology and creature comforts than we expected.

Take the ISRI driver’s seat, for example, which is not only comfortable but also features ventilation to keep your back cool or warm, depending on the conditions.

It’s spacious too, with a cabin layout that had no issues carrying us three-up for the hour-long loop through Melbourne’s busy western suburbs.

While we would have loved to see what the new Cummins-meets-Isuzu six-cylinder can do, the smaller four-cylinder engine made light work of the drive and seemed quieter and smoother than it used to be.

The F Series has always been a great truck to drive, but it feels even better and it isn’t down to any one change. It’s the sum of changes in this truck that have led to such an enjoyable drive, with all of the active safety and in-cab technology you could want.

It used to be that you’d jump from a truck back into your car and technology like Apple CarPlay and a touchscreen would feel like a real treat. Increasingly, trucks now offer all the same creature comforts as passenger cars.

Both the N Series and F Series models we tested remain enjoyable trucks to drive, with ADAS systems that keep a watchful eye on things rather than intervening at every moment. Overbearing safety systems are a real pain and can ruin the driving experience quicker than anything else, but this setup remains unobtrusive while keeping you safe.

The full-speed adaptive cruise control is a particularly useful feature, capable of operating from a standstill right up to top speed, including in stop-start traffic. This function will be a game changer for operators navigating inner-city congestion.

All in all, we came away impressed and eager to test the full range when it officially launches – albeit on a longer drive route and with heavier loads.

It’s clear that, despite spending 36 years at the top of the sales ladder, Isuzu Trucks is anything but complacent, because this new range of models lives up to the hype. Will it be sufficient to maintain its lead? Based on this initial taste, we certainly think so.