The best-selling Isuzu N Series light-duty range has been given a significant update by the Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturer.
In what is now regarded as its safest Isuzu truck ever developed for the Australian market, the new N Series, on sale 1 November, introduces a new Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).
It complements the existing safety suite found in all Isuzu N Series 4×2 trucks.
Cleverly designed to keep Isuzu truck drivers, as well as other road users, safe and secure on Australian roads, the new ADAS observes changing traffic conditions and assists drivers in maintaining a safe distance from other road users, pedestrians, cyclists, and objects. This all works to help avoid collisions with a combination of warning alerts and automations that activate when an imminent crash or potentially dangerous change in driving environment is detected.
The eyes behind Isuzu’s new ADAS is the highly effective Hitachi Stereo 3D Camera, proven to be incredibly accurate in object detection, as well as speed and depth perception (regardless of day or night operation).
Unlike other trucks in the market that offer a single camera attached to the windscreen (usually at the top) and a radar sensor mounted lower on the cabin face or bumper, Isuzu has mounted the dual-lens Hitachi camera inside the cabin in a central dashboard position that does not obstruct driver view and is not attached to the windscreen.
This gives the camera a superior field of vision to detect lower-height objects while in motion (small children for example)—a critical advantage for those working in established and built-up areas.
Isuzu’s Advanced Emergency Braking system with Forward Collision Warning (FCW) works by way of the dual optical sensor camera, which monitors the environment in front of the truck.
It can detect and determine the distance of three-dimensional objects such as vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and other objects that appear in front of the truck.
If the FCW system determines a collision is likely and depending on the circumstances and severity of the situation, the system will respond with either audible and visual alerts, or autonomous activation of the vehicle’s brakes.
Under normal operating conditions the system is designed to avoid a collision with a speed difference up to 50 km per hour and can reduce the risk of a collision impact for higher speed differentials, even at night.
Similar to systems found in many modern passenger cars, Isuzu’s Lane Departure Warning works via sensors that detect and monitor the vehicle’s trajectory in relation to lane markings on roads or the road edge itself, providing audible and visual alarms for the driver if the vehicle begins to wander out of the lane marking or over the road edge.
Isuzu has also introduced the Distance Warning System (DWS).
This is designed to ensure the truck operator is travelling at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
Allowing drivers to pre-set a desired minimum distance (depending on application or environment), the DWS will alert drivers with a subtle visual warning on the dash when an unsafe distance is detected.
The system has been intuitively programmed to only activate when speeds exceed 30 km per hour, which is particularly useful for highway driving and prevents spurious warnings in situations such as traffic jams.
Operators who do face those unavoidable traffic conditions, or who are operating in metro settings will also appreciate the Traffic Movement Warning (TMW) system, another feature unique to Isuzu’s N Series ADAS.
The TMW system monitors stationary vehicles ahead and will alert the driver with a clear but subtle warning sound when forward traffic movement is detected more than five metres from a truck’s stopped position.
Isuzu Australia Limited National Sales Manager, Les Spaltman said the new N Series trucks were built to support operators across a gamut of applications, but that urban operators would find particular benefit in Isuzu’s ADAS.
“We are incredibly pleased to offer our customers the next generation of safety in light-duty trucking with our updated N Series range,” said Spaltman.
“With confidence, we can say these are the safest, most advanced, diesel-powered light-duty Japanese trucks in the Australian market,” he said.
“In terms of work-smart features to keep drivers safe and comfortable, and capacity to get the job done, we believe operators will see a huge difference between owning a new Isuzu N Series truck compared with any other similar truck out there.”