Isuzu Commercial Truck of America announced on March 10 the addition of advanced safety features to its N-Series diesel trucks for the 2022 interim model year, designated as model year 2022i. The announcement was made during the NTEA’s Work Truck Week 2021 virtual trade show.  

The new safety technologies include an optional advanced driver assistance system with automatic emergency braking and a lane departure warning system, and standard electronic vehicle stability control.

Other enhancements include new standard and optional fuel tanks, standard four-wheel disc brakes, and a refreshed exterior and interior design.

Safety Tech

Now standard on all 2022i N-Series diesel models will be electronic vehicle stability control (EVSC), which monitors the truck’s steering wheel angle, individual wheel rotation speed, and lateral G forces. When the system senses that the vehicle is at risk of losing stability, the system alerts the driver via an on-dash warning light and automatically reduces engine output and applies braking pressure as needed to help the truck maintain stability.

EVSC works in tandem with anti-slip regulation (ASR), an advanced traction-control system that works to provide grip when the truck is on loose or wet surfaces. ASR will also be standard on all 2022i N-Series diesel trucks. Both EVSC and ASR can be manually deactivated by the driver through switches conveniently located on the instrument panel.

An all-new advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) will be optional on all 2022i N-Series models. The ADAS package consists of an automatic emergency braking system and a lane departure warning system. Both use a new dual-camera sensing system mounted atop the vehicle’s dashboard.

The optional automatic emergency braking system (AEBS) includes both vehicle and pedestrian detection. The system will warn the driver with both visual and audible alerts and, if necessary, automatically apply braking force to reduce vehicle speed. AEBS can be deactivated through an instrument panel-mounted switch.

The optional lane departure warning system (LDWS) uses the dual-camera sensing system to “read” the lines on the road ahead. If a driver strays too far from the road’s center, both visual and audio alerts will warn the driver. The system’s sensitivity can be adjusted through a switch on the instrument panel.

For customers who do not order the optional Advanced Driver Assistance System, Isuzu will continue to offer the Mobileye suite of collision and lane-departure warning systems as optional equipment.

Other Enhancements

In addition to the new safety technologies, Isuzu will add rear disc brakes to the already-standard front disc brakes on the MY-2022i NPR-HD, NPR-XD, NQR and NRR diesel models. The discs are part of a new vacuum assist system combined with anti-locking braking (ABS). At the limit point of normal vacuum assist, a hydraulic unit will provide additional line pressure. The feature is now standard for both the NQR and NRR.

The standard 30-gallon fuel tank will now be constructed of stainless steel rather than conventional steel to improve corrosion resistance. Two aluminum side-mounted fuel tanks will be available as factory-installed options.

A larger fuel sedimenter/filter on 2022i N-Series line will allow for improved service intervals. The water separator body will feature a translucent red body, making it easy to identify and to determine when water needs to be drained.

On the exterior, new bi-LED headlamps will deliver more light and less heat than halogen bulbs. Turn signals get a new shape and accent brow. A standard matte silver grille replaces the previous white grille, while a chrome grille will remain an option.

The interior of the 2022i Isuzu N-Series comes with seating surfaces covered in a gray and blue cross-pattern tricot fabric, along with darker gray accents on the steering wheel, gear shift lever, parking brake lever and other controls.

The 2022i Isuzu N-Series trucks will begin production in July 2021 with availability in the third quarter.

“The positive economic outlook for 2021 suggests that the medium-duty segment will grow this year,” said Shaun C. Skinner, president of both Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada. “These changes to the foundation of our lineup — our Class 3 through 5 N-Series diesel-powered trucks — respond to our customers’ requests and come at the perfect time to take advantage of growth in this segment.”