Isuzu Commercial Truck of America announced that the 20,000th gasoline-powered Isuzu N-Series truck has been produced at the Spartan Motors facility in Charlotte, MI. The truck is the only gasoline-powered low-cab-forward truck available in North America, according to Isuzu. Assembly of Isuzu N-Series gas trucks began at Spartan in April 2011.“It hardly seems possible that it has already been four years since Spartan Motors began production of our gasoline-powered trucks,” said Shaun Skinner, executive vice president and general manager of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America. “And that today, 20,000 have now been built. It’s clear that there is a demand for a gas-engine entry in the low cab forward market, and we’re proud that we’re the only brand to meet that need.”Isuzu N-Series gas trucks are powered by a Vortec 6.0-liter small-block V8 engine that produces 297 horsepower at 4,300 rpm and generates 372 lbs.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm, the company said. The powerplant is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with double overdrive and lock-up torque converter for enhanced fuel economy and performance. An optional version of the engine is capable of being converted to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or propane). Isuzu said it is the only brand to offer CNG/LPG-capable low-cab-forward trucks in North America. “Last year, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Isuzu trucks in the North American market,” Skinner said. “And today we celebrate 20,000 gas trucks since Spartan began assembly four years ago. By offering the broadest range of low cab forward trucks in the market, we’re looking forward to achieving many more milestones in the future.”
