This new N Series uses the same basic cabin design that Isuzu have been using since 2007, but, according to Simon Humphries, Isuzu Chief Engineer, Product Strategy, it, ‘really is a drastically different product than that launched 2007’.
The original 2007 model has been refined year-on-year since that time and although the truck looks much the same as it did 14 years ago, under the hood and in the cabin there have been a series of upgrades, especially in exhaust emissions and electronic safety systems.
The new N Series for 2022 sees the model get a major upgrade in its electronic safety systems, needed to bring it up to par with its close Japanese rivals, Hino and Fuso, which have set the bar much higher in recent years.
The star of the show for Isuzu has to be the Hitachi Stereo Camera system mounted centrally inside the cabin and looking forward to the area in front of the truck. The system uses two lenses to give it a 3D image of the road ahead, with the ability to precisely measure distances and speed.
This camera makes four new safety systems possible. Firstly, there’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Forward Collision Warning. This will warn the driver of an impending collision and they driver does not react, it will automatically bring in full emergency braking.
Next, it also enables Lane Departure Warning (LDW), another feature which is becoming more and more prevalent on all new trucks being released. Thirdly, the new N Series has something called a Distance Warning System (DWS), and this is joined by another feature, but one which is not becoming ubiquitous in new truck launches, called Traffic MovementWarning (TMW).
The stereo camera sits on top of the dash, low down in the middle of the windscreen. This is unlike many other truck systems, which are often at the top of the windscreen. Isuzu reckons the lower fitting gives the camera a better view of the road ahead. It is also effective in all lighting conditions.
When the truck gets too close to a vehicle in front, or a pedestrian walks across in front of the truck, the AEB is armed, there is an audible warning and then brakes are activated if the driver does not take any action. According to Simon, if the truck is running at 50 km/h or less, the system should avoid any impact. Collisions when the truck is going faster will be less severe as the truck will be travelling considerably slower at the point of impact.
Although the LDW is self explanatory, the TMW is something few will be familiar with. The system will warn the driver when the vehicle in front moves off at an intersection or in a queue. This will be useful to keep the more distracted drivers a little more alert, and probably automatically comes along with the full package of other more effective features.
The DWS is something which will be more useful to both fleets and drivers. The driver can set the following distance they feel is safe in the driving conditions and will get a warning if the truck gets too close to the vehicle in front.
Of course this new set of abbreviations join another set which has appeared in the N Series before, like ESC, ASR, ABS, plus much more, to which we have become accustomed.
The new model also includes automatic lighting, where the lights are automatically activated if the sensor detects low-light conditions. This is something which Isuzu’s competitors in light duty do not offer, but it is not clear how much a non-safety system like this would influence truck buyers.
Surprisingly, the new suite of safety features does not include adaptive cruise control (ACC), even though the system can detect distance to the vehicle in front and bring the truck to a halt autonomously. This functionality will come to Isuzu, but not this time around.
“ACC is definitely in our product program,” says Simon. “We want to have it in the Australian market, because we tend to do higher speeds than in places like Japan, so it is better value for our market.”
In the Japanese light duty arms race, Isuzu has not decided to match, feature by feature, those offered in the direct competition. Instead, the company has gone through the shopping list available from Japan and come up with a good mix of items from the Isuzu arsenal.
Although the N Series gets the stereo camera, which also appears in models like the Isuzu Ute and MUX, the larger Isuzu trucks will be using a single camera and radar system, similar to that employed in most other brands, when the heavier models, like F Series, get upgraded to the next safety levels.
