Isuzu
Back in the 1980s General Motors launched the little-known Isuzu brand to Australia, badging it ‘Bedford by Isuzu’ to make this strange name more acceptable to a market more used to European and American brands. Since that time Isuzu has become the dominant force in the Australian truck market, having led all comers for the past 19 years.
Isuzu has a strong lead at the end of the third quarter in 2008, so looks like making it 20 consecutive years of Australian truck market leadership at year’s end.
It’s not as if the competition hasn’t had an opportunity to knock off Isuzu. The best chance the opposition had was during the Asian meltdown in the 1990s, when more cashed-up competitors failed to take advantage of the then GM-Isuzu’s weakened position. The financial position became so bad that GM was happy to walk away from a controlling shareholding in its Japanese subsidiary. However, the turnaround came, with much of the credit going to Isuzu’s president Yoshinori Ida and today Isuzu is powering onwards.
There was evidently enough cash in the tin in 2007 to pay for a full-range upgrade that coincided with the introduction of ADR80/02 emissions engines in Australia this year. All-new N and F Series trucks were released in late 2007 and in April this year Isuzu Australia released a new heavy truck range that included a new intermediate model.
The FX could have been badged ‘FiX’, because it plugs a gap between the top of the F Series and the C Series rigid and prime mover models. In essence, the FX was built by installing the F Series cab on top of the C Series chassis and running gear, with 7mm frame thickness instead of the Giga’s 8mm. Under the jacked-up cab is a Sitec 325, 9.8-litre engine that’s accessed after the cab is tilted electro-hydraulically – a plus in this vehicle class.
As with its smaller trucks Isuzu has bitten the emissions bullet hard, opting for ADR80/03 (Euro V) rather than the easier, mandatory ADR80/02 (Euro IV) emissions targets. The reason for targeting the tougher Euro V emissions levels was simple enough: Isuzu needed to do that for Japan and Europe, so why develop intermediate engines for Australia and then have to bring in the full emissions package a few years later.
The Isuzu Euro V package consists of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate diffuser (DPD).
Hino
Ichiban – number one – is the aim of most Japanese companies and Hino, the truck arm of the highly successful Toyota Group, is no exception. In fact, the global success of the Toyota brand places additional pressure on Hino to achieve in truck land what its parent company has achieved in the car, ute and 4WD world.
Like all truck importers and makers in the Australian market, Hino had to upgrade its engines for compliance with ADR80/02 that took effect from January this year. Also like most, Hino adopted common-rail injection, variable geometry turbocharging and cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), in conjunction with an oxidising catalyst in the exhaust system.
At Hino the RangerPro cab was judged modern enough to continue without major upgrades.
Equipment levels have improved across the Hino mid-range spectrum: ABS braking, Easy Start hill-start assistance, CD player, cruise control, power windows and remote central locking are standard on all 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4 models, yet price increases are modest across the range.
Hino’s newly released FM model should give the Isuzu FX some serious competition.
Fuso
Most of Fuso’s Fighter 2008 models received power and torque upgrades. Fighter 6.0 trucks have a 177kW/686Nm engine and Fighter 8.0 and 10.0 models are now fitted with a 199kW/785Nm engine.
Fuso has increased the interior space in the Fighter, within the same external cab dimensions. The inclusion of an air suspension seat, ABS and cruise control across the range has improved safety and comfort.
Fighter 7.0 and 8.0 are now fitted with full air brakes, rather than air/hydraulic brakes, air rear suspension and 19.5 inch, low profile tyres.
UD Trucks
For 2008 UD Trucks launched new heavy-duty GW, PK medium and MK models.
The GW is the market-leading heavy duty prime mover in Japan and is a worthy successor to previous UD prime movers that have proved to be the best-performing Japanese heavies in the Australian market.
There are GW400 and GW470 models, as well as the PK9 and PK10. Air suspension is optional on these trucks and PKs come with either a six or nine speed transmission.
The new UDs use SCR or EGR technology to meet ADR 80/02 emissions.
All 2008 UD GW, PK and MK trucks have ABS brakes and cruise control as standard equipment.
There are three MK models in the new range: the four-cylinder MK5 day cab, six-cylinder bunk-cab MK6 and MK6 plus. Leaf and air rear suspensions are available, along with an Allison LCT 2500 five speed automatic option on the MK6.
