Truck VS Ute: Trucksales Reviews the NPR Tradepack

Jan 01, 0001 5 min read
Isuzutruckute 3

The Trucksales team recently took the NPR Tradepack through its paces as part of an impressive showdown with one of Australia's favorite utes. Take a look at what the team had to say.

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Isuzu NPR Tradepack takes on Toyota HiLux SR in a battle of the tray-backed workhorses

Which is the better choice, if you could only choose one, as an all-round workhorse, tow vehicle and cargo-carrying runaround: a light-duty truck or dual-cab ute?

The default choice for many tradies is a dual-cab ute that doubles as a weekday workhorse and week-end wheels. But what if you need to carry a lot of gear as well as tow a big trailer (often at the same time), and a one-tonne ute doesn’t quite cut the mustard?

Toyota HiLux sets out on a 2.5 tonne towing and payload test

A light-duty truck with its superior towing and vehicle weight ratings, that you can also drive on a car licence, could be the answer, but they're not generally perceived as being as comfortable, safe or user-friendly, as smaller dual-cab utes.

To shed some light on this dilemma, we ran an Isuzu NPR medium wheelbase Tradepack and a Toyota HiLux SR dual-cab through a number of real-world tests, to see which one adds up as the best all-rounder for the money...

Isuzu NPR showing off its tight turning circle

Isuzu NPR 45-155 MWB Tradepack single-cab light truck
Engine/transmission: 114kW/419Nm 5.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with six-speed auto
Weights: 3105kg (Tare), 4500kg (GVM), 9000kg (GCM), 4500kg (towing)
Length: 6645mm
Price: $72,381 plus on-road coasts

Reliability redefined.

The all-new range of Isuzu trucks has arrived. With a sleek new cab design, more advanced safety features and a smoother, more comfortable drive, the new range will change the way we rely on our trucks. Forever.

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