Isuzu Trucks
Truck Reviewer
Isuzu trucks were a valiant attempt to compete with some of the more prominent manufacturers. Unfortunately, due to many circumstances that were both within and out of the company’s control the Isuzu trucks failed to remain competitive and the line was shut down. The initial launch of the company was impressive, and there were many hopeful years and model releases along the way. The end result was nevertheless still a failure to completely launch. Models seen today are used and can be found through used vehicle markets.
One of the last members of the Isuzu truck family was the i-Series. When compared to trucks such as the Colorado or the Canyon the i-Series was almost a dead ringer. The i-Series was in the same class as the Tacoma and other similar mid size trucks and was not unique enough to draw a true following. With a 5 speed manual transmission or the optional 4 speed automatic, the i-Series was available as an extended cab or crew cab. The reverse opening doors for the rear entrance were handy but not necessarily practically designed. Had they been a little wider there would have been a better response.
Isuzu trucks were known for their jump seats in the rear of the extended cab. These seats were small and offered little leg room for anyone over 4 feet in height. While they made for reasonably creative seats for children, they failed by today’s regulated safety standards. The 6 foot cargo capacity of the rear bed was neither small for the release time nor large and impressive.
The Isuzu trucks that were released were not anything especially luxurious. They were middle of the road, average vehicles which were not capable of heavy duty towing or cargo hauling and not superiorly designed. Thus, the competition had little resistance to their efforts to overtake the Isuzu trucks of the time period. The i-Series was the last attempt within the US to create an Isuzu holding.
One of the more impressive features was the smooth ride and the comfortable feel behind the wheel. With abnormally impressive handling the truck line had the potential to rise above the competition with a few design changes. The smooth ride and the standard air conditioning, cruise control, bucket seats, and power accessories which were available on the higher end standard models were the creature comforts offered by the company. The base version offered little to no creature comforts and had almost no standard accessories.
The Isuzu trucks that were produced were considered to be modest and unimaginative. With the greatest flow of resources going toward SUV design as the truck line began to come to a close, the company made the decision to focus harder on creating better, more competitive SUVs than to risk higher losses on their trucks. The thought initially paid off but overall the quality that Isuzu offered simply couldn’t keep up with some of the up and coming vehicles of the day. With SUV sales rising and a greater attention paid to family friendly hauling vehicles, the company eventually closed off its US plants and headed home.
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