The Japanese marque’s NKR light-duty truck is the smallest variant of its N Series range and will arrive in Australia in Q1 of 2025, with pricing competitively positioned against the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.
Isuzu Trucks has used the 2025 Brisbane truck show as a platform to showcase the newest generation of its N Series light-duty trucks, which includes the Japanese marque's smallest and narrowest light truck to attract more dual-cab ute buyers.
Known as the NKR, the N Series addition will arrive in Australian showrooms sometime in January 2026, with order books opening in Q3 of 2025.
While payload and towing measurements are yet to be confirmed, the recommended retail price on the smallest N Series truck starts from $73,361 before on-road costs for the NKR 65-150 MT D25 and extends to the NKR 65-150 DT D34, which carries a $77,431 retail sticker.
For reference, the Isuzu Trucks NKR pricing is positioned close to mid-trim variants of popular dual-cab utes like the Ford Ranger Wildtrak (from $74,840) and even the top-spec Toyota Hilux GR Sport (from $74,310).
It’s worth noting that the NKR was badged in Australia as the ‘Elf’ approximately 20 years ago, and Isuzu Trucks said it has chosen to revive this size of vehicle now to better accommodate workers in urban environments.
In a media presentation, Simon Humphries, the Chief Engineer of Isuzu Australia Limited, said the newest NKR form, “expands on the range because it provides a very unique specification which allows these models to feature on small waste trucks that go into high multilevel buildings and car parks”.
The Japanese truck brand acknowledged it will never replace the dual-cab ute as a work vehicle, but a key executive said it aims to sway tradies and other workers away from pick-ups to light-duty trucks for their next workhorse.
Andrew Harbison, Isuzu Australia Limited's Director and Chief Operating Officer, told media, including Drive: “That [dual-cab] market is what we’ve been targeting for some time now. The car driver’s licence market makes up about 25 per cent of our total sales.
“We see a massive opportunity in moving people from those lifestyle-type vehicles into a true light-duty truck that gives them the flexibility of being able to carry the type of payloads that they’re looking for,” he said.
Though the brand remains tight-lipped on the next-generation N Series, its current line-up starts from $67,698 for the base-spec NLR light-duty truck and extends to the range-topping NQR, which comes with a $118,926.
In terms of payload capacity, the Isuzu N Series in its present form starts from 710kg (NPR 45-155 AMT 4x4 Servicepack-X) and reaches the NQR 87-190 AMT Tipper at 4655kg.
Powering the 2025 Isuzu Truck N Series is a new 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine dubbed the ‘4JZ1’, which is mated to the latest nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
According to various Isuzu Truck executives, safety was a key priority in the new N Series range, with all 4x2 models equipped with “vastly updated active and passive” technologies like anti-skid regulator, anti-lock braking systems, automatic lighting systems and Isuzu’s standard ADAS.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
