Heads up, Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux! Next-generation 2025 Isuzu N Series truck set to take a slice out of dual-cab ute market

Isuzu Trucks Australia is gearing up to launch its new-generation N Series light-duty truck from late next year, targeting a slice of the popular dual-cab ute market dominated by the likes of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

Isuzu has identified around 100-150 ute buyers per month who may be overloading their models unwittingly, surpassing the rated gross vehicle mass (GVM) and making it illegal to operate.

This could land them in trouble in the event of an accident, which is where the N Series light truck - that can be operated under a car license and carry up to 4.5 tonnes GVM - comes in.

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To try and steal sales away from the dual-cab ute crowd, the new N Series truck features an updated exterior and interior design, advanced driver-assist safety systems, fully electric powertrain options, and a newly developed nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – the latter addressing a common criticism of the outgoing model.

Though pricing details are still to be confirmed, the N Series will land in local showrooms in about 12 months' time to meet incoming changes to Australian Design Rules (ADRs) that mandate the inclusion of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and electronic stability control (ESC) on light-commercial vehicles (LCVs).

It is expected pricing will keep the entry-level N Series truck well below popular, high-end dual-cab utes like the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior and Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain and the like, which kick off from around $68,000 before on-road costs.

Isuzu Trucks Australia is gearing up to launch its new-generation N Series light-duty truck from late next year.

However, pricing is also heavily dependent on body style, with a vast range available to suit tradies ranging from concreters and carpenters, to removalists and renovators.

A new standard cab with a width of just 1695mm will be rolled out with the new-generation model, designed to make the idea of transitioning from a ute to the fully-fledged truck a much less daunting one, especially given the width of a Ford Ranger is closer to 2000mm.

From the outside, the new N Series is easily distinguished by its contrasting front grille and redesigned headlights – which are now LED, as are the turning lamps, fog lamps and high beams.

Though pricing details are still to be confirmed, the N Series will land in local showrooms in about 12 months’ time.

And, on the inside, the 2024 N Series trucks feature a smaller-diameter steering wheel for a more car-like feeling on the road, as well as new steering wheel controls and a redesigned, more ergonomic dashboard layout.

A full suite of advanced safety including lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert, automatic high beams and traffic sign recognition will also make its way to the new-gen N Series trucks.

Powering the bulk of the N Series range is a carryover 3.0-litre '4J71' turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, which features some commonality with the popular Isuzu D-Max and MU-X powertrains, and are in fact produced in the same Tochigi, Japan facility.

In standard guise, the engine produces 110kW/375Nm, but new to the range is a higher tune that outputs 129kW/430Nm in certain body styles.

A new standard cab with a width of just 1695mm will be rolled out with the new-generation model.

A 140kW/513Nm 4HK1 powertrain is also on offer for the biggest of N Series trucks.

However, a fully electric powertrain will also be available on the new-gen N Series, though it isn't due to launch until the first half of 2025.

Two options will be initially offered – a 60kWh eNLR and the larger 100kWh eNPR – both available to small fleet operators in a trial period before opening up to the general public.

Driving range with the larger 100kWh battery pack is targeting 200km, so the electric N Series is expected to appeal to last mile operators or local government councils.