Major change is underway in Japanese truck manufacturing, and the early signs are just becoming apparent here in New Zealand.

Until recently Japan had four truck manufacturers. And it still has four brands, but at the deeper levels of future product development and manufacturing it’s become a two-horse race.

Isuzu and UD are joined in one camp while Fuso and Hino now exist under the new Archion Corporation banner in an alliance that brings together the might of Daimler Truck and Toyota Motor Corporation.

A focus on joint development of new products will mean greater commonality for future models with shared technologies and powertrains.

This test drive was a little different from the norm for me. Usually, when a completely new truck model arrives, I climb into the cab with little or no prior experience behind the wheel. This time, however, things are quite different.

Before getting my hands on this truck in New Zealand, I had already attended Isuzu’s dealer training and track day at Hampton Downs, followed by an invitation to Australia to drive the new range from Darwin to Cairns.

Covering close to 4,000km over four days provided plenty of seat time and gave me a thorough introduction to Isuzu’s latest generation of trucks. It’s also a testament to the effort Isuzu has put into ensuring dealers and media fully understand what these new models bring to the table.