- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.0DT, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
120kW, 360Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 8.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4XD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Isuzu FRR600 Premium first drive review
Isuzu makes no secret of the fact that its FRR600 mid-sized truck is fitted out with standard features found on much larger and more expensive interstate haulers.
First there's the seat: a top line Isri air chair with height, bolstering and lumbar adjustment that brings lounge chair-like comfort and support on long journeys, like that of larger machines. It teams favourably with a steering wheel offering height and reach adjustment, as well as acres of leg and head space for extended periods in the saddle.
The cabin's big-truck amenity is bolstered with other features, like the sleeper cabin big enough for the occasional overnighter, as well gas enerous storage including two overhead compartments, side door pockets suitable for a clipboard, twin cup holders and a middle console that flips open to a third seat.
The trick with the FRR600 is that, despite its spacious cabin, this truck is officially defined as a single-axle medium rigid, and in that capacity it fits the bill favourably.
Excellent outward vision to the front is matched by heated and electric dual side mirrors (each housing standard and convex glass), as well as a standard reversing camera. Those factors in addition to a 13.9-metre turning circle endow Isuzu's mid-sizer with excellent inner-city manoeuvrability in a way that larger prime movers cannot match.
The steering is lightly weighted and feels direct off or on centre. Ride quality is equally well resolved thanks to hydraulic shock absorbers and stabiliser bar up front and single stage leaf springs at the rear. There's little tendency to porpoise over bumps and the steering wheel is largely immune from kickback.
At the heart of the mid-sized model is an 8.0-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel engine that makes 176kW of power and 706Nm of torque. It is a sweet engine, reaching those maximum outputs from a minimal 2400rpm and 1450rpm respectively, and making light work of inner-city duties. The power curve is essentially void of turbo lag, such is the low-down pick-up, while open road kilometres are well served with the engine spinning at about 2000rpm.
An Eco button dulls the engine's throttle mapping slightly to ensure better economy from the FRR's standard 200-litre fuel tank.
The model tested features Isuzu's automated manual transmission, part of a Premium Pack that also brings styling enhancements and climate control air-conditioning. The auto brings both fully automatic and clutchless manual operation modes. It ties seamlessly with the engine, providing smooth and well-timed shifts moving off the line, but also intuitively kicking down gears when the brakes are applied, as necessary.
We're yet to see how the engine or its automatic transmission perform under heavy load but the raw figures bode well. Tipping the scales at about 3.5-tonnes in medium cab chassis guise, the FRR600 has a GVM of 11 tonnes and a GCM of 16 tonnes.
Either way, the diesel engine's clatter is only faintly perceptible from the cabin at speed, such is the quality of the FRR's cabin insulation, which also isolates a good deal of wind noise and road noise, irrespective of the road surface.
The one blemish against the driving experience is the Isuzu's brake configuration: a front and rear drum setup that feels poorly modulated through the pedal and tends to bite harshly as a result. However, calling upon the engine's effective exhaust brake system serves as a powerful reserve.
The FRR600's powerful lights illuminate country roads ideally, while newly added cornering lamps provides an additional beam into the turning area when the turn indicators are activated.
Inside the cabin, the FRR's instrument cluster is neatly presented with easy-to-read gauges for speed, revs, fuel level, oil temperature and air pressure. The cabin is easy to access thanks to doors that open 90 degrees as well as a multitude of different grab rails and a steel grated step.
A 6.1-inch colour touchscreen houses Bluetooth, digital radio, USB inputs and is iPod compatible. It also projects outside camera angles during tight slow speed manoeuvres.
Safety is also facilitated thanks to standard driving aids including ABS brakes, traction control, hill start assist and front driver and passenger airbags, the latter eschewing space traditionally reserved for a passenger glove box.
At $109,000 on the road, the FRR600 is priced closer to larger machines than its typical freight buyers might expect, though its comfort and big-truck amenity mean it certainly doesn't feel like your everyday transport runabout.
2015 FRR 600 Premium (Medium)
Price: $109,000 including on-road costs
Engine: 8.0-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 176kW at 2400rpm
Torque: 706Nm at 1450rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automated manual
Fuel use: N/A