Isuzu NMR vs Toyota Tundra

What's the difference?

A truck like the NPR (or any other truck, really) is never going to replace a dual-cab ute in terms of its duality. While the latter can tend to weekday chores and be quickly reconfigured for weekend fun, the light truck has no such facility. Nope, it’s a workhorse. Period.

You need a fair bit of real estate just to park the Isuzu overnight and it certainly won’t fit in the typical supermarket car space. It’s hardly sporty to drive, either, although the latest upgrades have made it more user friendly in a total sense and safer than ever before.

But what it does do that a dual-cab ute can’t often do, is tackle bigger, heavier jobs with a fair bit of bandwidth still up its sleeve. And if the nine-to-five side of things is where you need to be, then a vehicle like this has to be worth a look. And if you consistently find that you’re sailing close to the wind in terms of exceeding a ute’s legal payload, towing capacity or GCM, then the extra bigness of a light truck could make a huge difference.

That’s especially so given the price tag. Okay, you’re not buying a lot of high tech for your money, but you are getting some seriously stout engineering and an expectation that you won’t be working the thing to death anytime soon.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The Tundra Platinum is a good-looking and well-engineered RHD full-size US pickup which stands apart from local competitors with its unique hybrid drivetrain and unmatched power/torque outputs. However, it also comes with a conspicuously high purchase price, which given the quality of local Ram, Chevrolet and Ford competition could be a deal-breaker for some.

It can’t be easy to make a light truck look fashionable, but Isuzu has done a reasonable job of making the thing look, at least, current. The lighting has all been changed to LEDs now, and the bold, angular face the truck presents looks pretty modern.

But new tech has also forced some design changes. The bull-bar that is part of the Tradepack deal, for instance, has been redesigned with changes to the main hoop. That’s all to accommodate the radar units inside each headlight that inform the front cross-traffic warning system of anything in the way.

Also notable is the attention to detail of the optional (rather than the alloy tray seen here) Australian-made service body. With a choice of internal layouts, the flip-up sides reveal a proper workshop on wheels when configured that way.

It’s also nice to see that all the clips and catches on the drop-side tray can be easily replaced if damaged.

This is a substantial vehicle with bold, bluff-fronted styling characterised by an enormous grille that has an imposing presence wherever it roams.

Toyota's TNGA-F ladder-frame chassis platform is shared with the LandCruiser 300 Series and Prado models, but the big American has a much longer 3700mm wheelbase, spans almost six metres in length (5955mm) and is more than two metres wide (2040mm). However, it’s less than two metres tall (1985mm), so it can access underground and multi-storey carparks. 

It rides on double-wishbone coil-spring front suspension and a multi-link coil-spring live rear axle, with electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering and big four-wheel disc brakes.

Off-road credentials include 216mm of ground clearance, 23 degrees approach and 21 degrees departure angles – which are ample for accessing rugged worksites – while the turning circle is an expansive 15 metres.

The interior, with its panoramic sunroof, has a spacious and airy ambience, enhanced by contrasting blue stitching on its leather-appointed upholstery.

Although the cabin has a high standard of fit and finish, as you’d expect from Toyota and WAG, it doesn't look and feel quite as lavish as the sumptuous interiors found in its top-shelf US rivals. The centre console lid in particular feels too light and plasticky for a vehicle in this price range.

The new cabin Isuzu has brewed up certainly brings the truck into the present, but it’s still very much a light truck in some respects. As in, it’s still a pretty good climb inside, although there are steps and handles to make that easier. The steering column still gets in the way as you swing your left leg inside, though.

The plastic surfaces would still make a car interior designer cringe, and the floor is vinyl and the seats cloth. But the three-abreast seating arrangement makes sense and, should you choose the dual-cab N Series option, there’s actually seven seats in all.

Cabin storage has obviously been a priority for Isuzu, and there are three large, netted overhead bins above the top of the windscreen, as well as bins and buckets across the width of the lower dashboard. Interestingly, each door has just a single, slim pocket and no bottle storage.

The centre console addresses that somewhat with a pair of cup-holders and a pen slot, while there’s also a large bin behind the seat on the bulkhead. There’s also an interior light that wouldn’t look out of place in an industrial kitchen.

The dashboard is home to a pair of USB charge-ports in the centre and the truck stuff continues with a wand for the exhaust brake and a knob near the steering column for a fast-idle setting. It’s also nice to see that even though Isuzu has adopted keyless entry and start for the N Series, the starter button resembles a conventional key and is located right where it should be in the side of the steering column.

What’s missing? Mainly a vanity mirror on either side of the cabin and a physical volume knob for the stereo. Oh, and paddle shifters would be nice too, especially when towing.

Externally, the Tradepack option gets you an aluminium drop-side tray, sturdy ladder racks, a tow bar, bull bar, toolboxes fitted below the tray between the axles and even a wash station for after-work clean ups.

The tray is fitted in Australia (many of the Ready to Work body options are also made here) and the load floor is a vast expanse of alloy with the ability to cope with small, heavy objects thanks to its high-impact materials. But the usual drop-side tray caveats apply including a high loading height, rattling from the sides and the legal requirement to lash everything down before hitting the road.

Meantime, part of the overall appeal of the Isuzu line-up is that there are something like 40 different permutations of cabin width, wheelbase, GVM, overall length and driveline.

But here’s perhaps the N Series’ greatest trick when it comes to being practical: While it’s easy to dismiss the vehicle for being too big and unwieldy, many operators would possibly find that the extra payload and real estate in the cargo area means that they might not need to tow a trailer every time they venture on to a job site. At which point, the dual-cab ute with a tandem trailer starts to look less convenient, especially if there’s any reversing or squeezing on to a tight site involved.

Oh, and if tight spaces really are an issue, the N Series’ sub-10m turning circle makes a typical dual-cab’s 12.5 metre turning circle look ridiculously ungainly. And that’s before we get to that trailer.

Typically for a vehicle like this, a full-sized spare tyre is included.

With its 2834kg kerb weight and 3536kg GVM, the Platinum has a 702kg payload limit which is modest compared to smaller 4x4 utes with genuine one-tonne-plus capabilities.

However, it’s rated to tow up to 4500kg of braked trailer on a 70mm ball and with its substantial 7980kg GCM (or how much weight it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would require only a small drop in payload from 702kg to 646kg to avoid exceeding the GCM. So, that’s a practical set of numbers if you ever need to tow the maximum 4.5 tonnes.

The load tub is 1660mm long, 1491mm wide and 531mm deep, with 1237mm between its rear wheel-housings allowing either a standard Aussie or Euro pallet. It’s accessed through a power tailgate, which can be operated from the driver’s seat if required.

The tub’s internal surfaces are protected by a composite drop-in liner, with handy slots moulded into each side for vertically inserting planks of wood to serve as lateral load-dividers if required.

The Platinum's tub also has unique hooded LED lighting in each sidewall, plus there’s fixed load-anchorage points front and rear at mid-height (would be better if just above floor height) and rails with adjustable sliding anchorages along the top of the front and side walls for securing taller loads.

Cabin storage includes two 600mL bottle-holders and storage bins in each front door plus a decent-sized single glovebox, a 12V dash socket and an overhead glasses-holder.

The centre console offers open storage up front including a wireless phone-charging pad, plus a pair of small-bottle/cupholders in the centre and a large lidded box at the back containing USB ports.

The large rear doors, with pull-up privacy screens on their windows, provide wide entry to the rear bench seat. There’s enough shoulder room for three adults and even tall passengers enjoy ample legroom, although those seats in the centre must contend with a transmission hump, which is absent in its flat-floored rivals.

There’s two 600mL bottle-holders and a bin in each rear door, plus large pockets on each front seat backrest and two more bottle/cupholders at the rear of the centre console, which also has controls for rear seat heating/cooling, plus USB ports and adjustable air-vents.

If travelling with two, the centre seat backrest folds down to provide a comfortable armrest and two more bottle/cupholders (that's 14 in total), so drink storage is well catered for in this cabin.

The rear seat’s 60/40-split base cushions can also swing up and be stored vertically for more internal luggage space, but there’s no storage compartments underneath as this space is occupied by the hybrid drivetrain’s battery, with large vents on either side providing it with ample ventilation.

Our only criticism of the rear seating is limited headroom for tall people, caused by a deep contour in the roof-lining to accommodate the Platinum’s sunroof.

This contour sits very close to foreheads and limits head space. So, if you have tall passengers, they might get cranky on long drives, particularly those seated in the slightly higher centre position with (like me) the top of their head pressed firmly into the roof lining.

Our recently launched Platinum test vehicle is, like its Limited sibling, available only with Toyota’s ‘i-FORCE MAX’ hybrid powertrain, which combines a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, electric motor-generator, traction battery and 10-speed automatic transmission, for a list price of $172,990 plus on-road costs.

That pricing is $17,000 more than the Limited and considerably higher than Australian premium-grade RHD rivals including the Ford F-150 Lariat LWB ($140,945), Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 ($141,500) and Ram 1500 Limited ($159,950). Note the F-150 has temporarily been withdrawn from sale in Australia due to an ADR compliance issue.

The Tundra Platinum shares numerous standard features with the Limited, including 20-inch alloy wheels (although the Platinum’s wheel design is unique) with 265/60R20 tyres and a 245/75R18 ‘space saver’ spare (to optimise its underfloor-mounted ground clearance), LED lighting, heated door mirrors, an automatic ‘active’ front spoiler, side steps, a power tailgate, a tub liner, a 3500kg towing kit and front/rear parking sensors to name a few.

The cabin has smart entry/start, dual-zone climate, front seat heating/cooling, a leather-accented steering wheel and shifter, a 12.3-inch driver’s digital instrument cluster, a 12-speaker JBL audio system with a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen and multiple connectivity including Apple/Android devices, wireless phone charging, power sliding rear glass, five USB ports and more.

The Platinum adds not only its unique black-painted alloy wheels but also a bold mesh grille design with dark chrome surround, black body detailing, tailgate spoiler and rain-sensing wipers.

The cabin gets a full-length panoramic sunroof and leather-accented trim, with the front seats equipped with 10-way power adjustment including a massage function. There’s also heating/cooling for the outer rear seats, heated steering wheel with power tilt-reach adjustment and 10.9-inch colour head-up display.

Believe it or not there’s actually a family connection between the 3.0-litre turbo diesel in the Isuzu NRL and the Isuzu D-Max dual-cab and MU-X SUV.

While the displacement of the D-Max remains, the unit in the light truck has been retuned to liberate more torque at lower engine speeds. In this case, that’s 129kW at 2860rpm and 430Nm of torque anywhere between 1450rpm and 2860rpm. That gives the engine great flexibility, but the transmission also plays a part.

That’s either a six-speed manual or a nine-speed dual-clutch unit. The latter has either manual or fully automatic shift modes, and it’s worth is backed up by the potential for lower fuel consumption thanks to the inherent efficiency in such a transmission as well as the three extra ratios.

Designed and made in-house at Isuzu, the brand says it’s confident the wet-clutch unit doesn’t carry the potential flaws of some other dual-clutch units we could name. That said, Isuzu has downgraded the towing capacity from 4.5 to four tonnes if the nine-speed is fitted.

And just like any good truck, there’s the provision for a power-take-off on the side of each transmission option, as well as an exhaust brake to help the mechanical brakes when fully laden.

Unlike many light trucks before it, the Isuzu doesn’t get stuck with a rigid front axle. Instead, you get a proper independent set-up with coil springs, while the rear end remains a live axle with leaf springs in the interests of carting lots of heavy stuff.

The Tundra’s powertrain consists of a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine that produces 290kW of power at 5200rpm and 649Nm of torque between 2400-3600rpm.

This is paired with an electric motor mounted directly behind, which produces 36kW/250Nm and draws its electrons from a 6.5Ahr Ni-MH (nickel metal hydride) battery located beneath the rear seat.

Their combined output is 326kW and 790Nm, which is more power and torque than any of its local rivals and therefore appealing for those who need to haul and/or tow heavy loads.

Its refined 10-speed torque converter automatic offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting, a dedicated Tow/Haul setting and three drive modes comprising Normal (default), Sport and Eco.

The 4WD system is part-time, dual-range with 2H (2WD High Range), 4H (4WD High Range) and 4L (4WD Low Range). There’s also an automatic limited-slip rear differential, but unlike its competitors no full-time AWD mode is available.

This is a cursed subject in the truck segment, because there’s just no standard pattern of usage, nor a typical loading scenario. Some trucks will spend their whole lives heavily loaded going from red light to red light, others will be less burdened and driven between regional towns.

But what we can tell you is that unladen and driven sensibly, this truck should be able to return fuel consumption figures in the low teens per 100km. Throw the full payload and a trailer on the back and head for hilly country and you could easily double that and then some.

As such, the range from the 100-litre fuel tank is going to vary enormously, but should be somewhere between 500 and 800km.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the upgrade to this model has brought the Isuzus in line with Euro 6 emissions or their Japanese equivalent. So they now need AdBLue and there’s a 14-litre tank for that.

With the Tundra’s GVM rating exceeding 3.5 tonnes, Toyota is not required under current ADRs to publish fuel consumption figures. Even so, we covered a total distance of 298km, which comprised a mix of suburban, city and highway driving of which about one third was hauling a near-maximum payload.

When we stopped to refuel, the dash display was claiming average combined consumption of 14.1L/100km, but our own figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings was 15.8, which is in the same ballpark as mid-teen figures we’ve achieved in its six and eight-cylinder rivals.

Therefore, based on our own figure, the Tundra Platinum has a real-world driving range nudging 800km from its big 122-litre tank, which according to Toyota requires minimum 95 RON petrol.

Actually climbing aboard the Isuzu is job one, and you’ll need the handles and step to do it safely. Then again, it’s probably no more testing than getting into a really low sports car in a degree of difficulty sense.

With that accomplished, you’re met with two things; the view out and the very un-car-like driving position. The first is fantastic for forward vision. And it’s not just the height advantage over other traffic. The cab-over-engine layout also means you’re almost at the very front of the truck, meaning you can see a lot more of what’s directly in front of you, even if it’s almost under your nose. Jumping back into a dual-cab ute for comparison emphasises the point enormously.

The driving position, meanwhile, might take more getting used to. The steering wheel is almost flat and you tend to sit pretty upright. Long-distance drivers will tell you this is actually great for long stints at the helm, and it honestly feels pretty natural after just a few minutes. But the steering column placement means there’s no chance of left-foot braking which some drivers (this one included) prefer.

Once you’re rolling, the dual-clutch transmission starts to feel pretty handy with short, sharp upshifts and a calibration that sees it keen to downshift on deceleration to help balance the vehicle, take the stress off the brakes and ensure that the engine is in its power band for when you next throttle on.

Speaking of which, the engine is not exactly overpowering, but it does produce the meat of its muscle in the right places, helped no end by having nine ratios to play with. And here’s an interesting point: The way the engine is installed in the NPR – and despite the fact that you’re sitting pretty much right on top of it – there’s less noise and vibration from the 3.0-litre than in an Isuzu D-Max ute. Obviously, low vibrations and less noise are factors in staving off driver fatigue, and clearly Isuzu knows how to achieve this.

Ride quality will vary hugely depending on what’s on board. We tried the NPR with a full load of gear on the tray, taking it almost to its payload limit. At that point, the ride was actually quite compliant, and the only odd sensation is that of having your backside right over the front axle.

The other mantra held dear by fleet managers is that the best way to reduce breakdowns is to take the driver out of the equation as much as possible. That explains the dual-clutch transmission, for one, but it also perhaps explains why the NPR is set up to be actually very easy and simple to drive. It’s definitely scarier to look at than to pilot. And that turning circle is something else!

The side steps are set close to the sills and, therefore, a bit narrow for size 12 boots, but big handles on the A and B pillars assist climbing aboard, where you’re rewarded with a spacious driving position with multiple adjustments.

The analogue-flavoured RHD dash module has numerous physical dials, buttons and switches, which thankfully leaves minimal reliance on distracting touchscreen prompts. Some items, like the left-hand-side indicator stalk and HVAC controls, are biased towards LHD, but you soon get used to these idiosyncrasies.

Its excellent steering feel, braking response, supple but responsive four-coil ride quality and effective noise insulation are what we’ve come to expect from WAG’s extensive remanufacturing process. In the Tundra’s case, it uses many original equipment components from existing Toyota 4WD vehicles and OEM suppliers.

The V6 engine produces a meaty V8-style soundtrack, with a melodic throb at idle and a guttural roar at full throttle. From standing starts, the abundant torque gets more than 2.8 tonnes of pickup to triple-digit speeds in about six seconds, which is comparable to Ford's sporty Ranger Raptor.

The hybrid drivetrain displays excellent refinement, as it continuously and seamlessly switches between petrol and electric power to optimise performance and economy. The Tundra is also an effortless highway cruiser, with negligible tyre and wind noise at 110km/h allowing conversations at loungeroom levels.

To test its load-hauling ability we strapped just over 500kg into the load tub, which with our two-man crew equalled a total payload of 675kg that was nudging its GVM limit. The coil-spring rear suspension only compressed 50mm, leaving ample bump-stop clearance and no risk of bottoming-out on our test route.

It made light work of hauling this payload in city and suburban driving and didn’t seem to notice it had anything in the load tub on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set-climb at 60km/h.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as robust as expected given the assistance of regenerative braking, but the large four-wheel disc brakes were more than capable of keeping speeds under 60km/h when called upon during the descent.

Like its local US competitors, the RHD Tundra does not have an ANCAP rating but comes with a suite of passive and active safety features. These include eight airbags, AEB with day cyclist detection and day/night pedestrian/oncoming vehicle detection, lane-keeping, trailer sway control, trailer back-up guide with straight path assist (makes reversing a trailer easy and safe), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front/rear parking sensors, panoramic view monitor and more. The rear seat has two ISOFIX and two top-tether child-seat anchorages.

Despite the hard life many trucks are destined to live, Isuzu offers a standard six-year/250,000km warranty on the cabin and chassis of this model. The rear RTW body (whatever form that takes) is covered for three years. There’s also a three-year warranty on genuine accessories provided they were installed by a certified fitter.

Service intervals are every 25,000km, 12 months or 5000 hours of operation, whichever comes first. There’s also six years of roadside assistance thrown in.

Isuzu offers a range of service agreements ranging from the basic package right up to a plan that covers everything including wiper blade replacement.

There are currently 84 Isuzu dealers or authorised service outlets around the country, including some pretty far flung spots, so service and parts should be less of a problem than for some other brands.

Mechanically, Isuzu has worked to reduce servicing times, including the use of sealed-for-life wheel bearings.

The Tundra comes with Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is class-leading.

Scheduled servicing is six months/10,000km whichever occurs first, with capped-pricing of $450 per service for the first five years/100,000km. So, that’s $900 annually, if serviced twice a year as scheduled.

Toyota currently has 275 dealers across its vast network located in metro, rural and regional areas. Toyota dealerships are also service centres.