Chevrolet Silverado vs Isuzu NPR

What's the difference?

The Chevrolet Silverado enjoys enduring popularity in Australia’s unique new vehicle market for locally remanufactured right-hand drive versions of full-size US pick-up trucks.

Armed with unique V8 power, the range offered by General Motors Speciality Vehicles (GMSV) comprises the entry-level 1500 LTZ Premium and top-shelf 1500 ZR2, while the colossal 2500 HD offers the ultimate in heavy towing capabilities.

Their combined sales represent a leading market share of more than 40 per cent, in a specialised segment where purchase prices extend well into six figures.

The latest MY26 Silverado range is backed by a new five-year/unlimited km warranty paired with five years of roadside assist, which provides greater peace-of-mind for buyers than the previous three-year/100,000km and three years' roadside assist. The ZR2 also gets upgraded driver assistance plus additional exterior colours.

We recently spent a week aboard one of the latest 1500s to find out why the Silverado is such a popular choice for Aussie buyers and if it’s well suited to tradie duties.

The dual-cab ute market and light truck market are potentially two very different landscapes.

While the dual-cab continues to storm the sales charts in Australia, there’s also a growing awareness among hardcore users of these vehicles, that a light truck might often be a better solution.

Better payloads and higher Gross Combination Mass ratings in an age of increasing legal and insurance concerns over overloaded vehicles, were once the light truck’s strong suit. But these days, vehicles like the full-sized US-made pick-ups and even the muscled-up Ford Ranger Super Duty have bridged or even exceeded that gap.

At which point, the light-truck’s benefits become the ease with which it can take on heavier jobs and the sheer size of the cargo and cabin area, not to mention those truck-specific qualities born of generations of refining a concept.

In Australia, it’s Isuzu that absolutely brains the opposition in sales terms. And part of the reason for that has been a realisation that not all would-be buyers want the hassle of the traditional truck-buying process of purchasing a bare chassis and then equipping it so suit their needs.

Which is where Isuzu’s RTW (ready To Work) concept comes in. You simply choose the truck you want, choose a tray, van or service body and then let Isuzu deal with it and phone you when it’s ready to collect.

It's so simple, it’s a wonder not everybody is doing it.

The other news is that Isuzu has finally updated its popular N Series fleet after about 16 years. A new cabin, extensive chassis changes, uprated engines, and all-new transmission, improved suspension and a new focus on safety are all headlines. But 16 years is a long time between drinks, so do the improvements make enough of a difference to keep the concept relevant in a changing market?