UD Condor 2026 Review

After a break UD Trucks has released a new Condor model for the medium/heavy duty market, and it’s a truck which may look a little familiar...

With the introduction of the new Condor the Japanese brand is extending its offering to the Australian truck market, with a model which is the first to hit our shores since the decision by Volvo Truck to sell UD to rival truck maker Isuzu.

The ‘Strategic Alliance’ between the global giant and its Japanese rival was presented to the truck buying world as a positive on both sides of the deal.

Volvo successfully created the latest Quon model with UD Trucks, while demonstrating the enterprise’s ability to meld together sophisticated European technology with Japan's more pragmatic and functional philosophy around building trucks.

However, faced with the need to develop a whole new set of technologies to meet future requirements while, at the same time time adapting them to suit four brands in the Volvo stable, appeared to be unviable, if UD was included.

At the same time Isuzu Motors, a standalone, single-brand truck maker was looking to broaden its market opportunities and future-proof its range with the latest state-of-the-art technology. It also had the truck manufacturing capacity to expand.

Hence Isuzu's decision to buy UD Trucks from Volvo. The deal allowed the Swedish truck maker to stick to what it's best at (developing sophisticated trucks and focusing on the European and US market) and let Isuzu ramp up its manufacturing infrastructure and get access to a menu of high-tech truck componentry, without incurring the massive research and development costs.

The "technology sharing" agreement also means Isuzu has access to Volvo’s Common Architecture & Shared Technology (CAST) platform. Isuzu don’t get to play with everything in the toy box; there's a list of componentry included although it's not public knowledge for now.

The first truck from UD to emerge since the changes, the Condor is available in three guises: the PK at 4x2, PW at 6x2 and PD at 6x4, with air and steel suspension options on PK and PD. Volvo Group Australia retains its distribution rights for UD Trucks in Australia.

The Condor trucks are built on the Isuzu production line in Fujisawa, Japan and are based on the same design as the F Series Isuzu models released in Australia last year.

The differences between the two are in the branding and some small component extras. For example, the Condor's infotainment screen is from Volvo and the UD's rear view mirrors are different to the Isuzu F Series'. Drilling right down to the details, the Condor also adds headlamp washers.

The UD's engine is built at Isuzu’s Tochigi engine plant, also in Japan. However, the design and technology come from another big player, Cummins. The DB6A unit is derived from the US engine-maker’s B6.7 engine; the basic technology has been adapted to suit the needs of Japanese trucks.

Analysing the driving experience in a Japanese truck can be quite difficult. Japanese truck customers have a firm set of preferences, which all of the truck makers look to satisfy.

This often means that equipment levels are very similar across the board, with only minor variations in the positioning of switches, screens, etc.

Other parameters like engine power, torque transmission settings and safety systems are also very close in specification across the Japanese trucks. That said, noticeable differences in ‘seat of the pants’ feel and systems’ integration can impact the driver’s experience behind the wheel.

Putting pedal to the metal behind the wheel of the Condor, there's definitely plenty of torque available, largely thanks to the engine’s Cummins background. Older Japanese engines have always been able to work hard and supply enough torque, but at relatively high rpm levels.

Here the North American influence provides quality torque from low down in the rev band, with the whole experience feeling less frenetic.

Drivetrain responsiveness is further enhanced by the inclusion of the Allison transmission (3000 Series on the two axle trucks and 3500 Series on the three axle variants). The combination of a smart engine talking to a smart transmission results in a smooth, almost instantaneous response.

Our test drive route in and out of Brisbane's CBD, including lots of stop/go traffic, inconsiderate car drivers and up and down grades, proves a good work-out for the driveline and gives it adequate opportunity to show off its attributes.

Full 360-degree visibility is excellent, with the various radar and video units keeping me aware of potential issues around the truck at all times. This is becoming the norm for city distribution drivers driving the latest models, as the technology takes a lot of the strain and pressure away from the driver.

All the driving information in the Condor is easily accessible from a screen directly in front of the driver. Half the display is digital and the other half analog, and the infotainment screen sits in the middle of the cab with a myriad of options for the driver to play with.

Another positive is the responsive steering with an excellent wheel cut; making an easy detour into a well-known but tight loading bay in a Deagon shopping area. One shunt and I was back out onto the road!

The lane assistance technology also proves handy out on the freeway, keeping the truck from drifting across the line.

Also helping calm the nerves is the adaptive cruise control, which operates down to zero km/h so you can just leave it to keep up with the traffic but, at the same time, not rear-end the vehicle in front.

This also enables the driver to concentrate on other issues which may arise, like taking the wrong turn and re-routing, or spotting a potentially dangerous situation early and backing the truck off.

One question which enters my mind while test driving the Condor is: What’s the difference between this UD and the Isuzu I'd driven a couple of months earlier?

The answer is both complicated and simple. It's not just a choice between two badges, and much more than nit-picking the incidentals, like the different infotainment screen and rearview mirrors.

The UD Condor is a great truck to drive; it functions well, is fit for purpose and will fit well into any fleet. So any decision is likely to be based around all of the other things which come with buying and owning a truck.

Like the fact larger fleets or operators who run bigger trucks and handle long distance freight are more likely to be already working with a national sales team and a big truck dealer.

For example, the large dealerships selling Volvo Group product into businesses handling freight haulage and distribution, are supplying trucks at the heavier end of the road transport truck market to buyers who may also need trucks like the Condor. The upside is the Volvo telematics system in the UD may be compatible with the rest of the fleet.

Trucks like the UD Condor would be a useful addition to that kind of operation, so the dealer who sells them something like a Mack Superliner for road train work can also supply the truck running around the city consolidating loads for transhipment.

However, other truck buyers in vocational work or sectors like manufacturing or the business supplies game, might have a different outlook and be more comfortable with the dealer which sold them a tipper or a small refrigerated pantech.

The new UD Condor is the first of a few jointly-developed trucks that will be coming on our way in the coming years. The massive development costs of bringing on new technology, especially in the zero-carbon space, will mean more individual brands cannot afford to go it alone.

The recently announced merger of Fuso and Hino into a jointly owned holding company called Archion will see trucks from both of those brands, also starting to look the same and feel very similar.

Further down the track there's the Cellcentric fuel cell project, which involves both Volvo Group and Daimler Trucks in thecreation of zero carbon power technology.

Another example is the way that component suppliers are rationalising and getting closer to their customers. On this front, the Cummins supply of engines to Isuzu and UD comes to mind, and the big American engine maker is also going to be building engines for Daimler in its own engine plant in Mannheim in Germany.

These developments mean that future buying choices are going to be made by thinking less about the truck you are buying and more about what comes along with that purchase.

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