GM Gasoline Engine From Isuzu, FCCC

Pick-up and delivery operators who prefer gasoline power got some good news at the Work Truck Show, held in March in St. Louis, Mo.

The Isuzu NPR and a new derivative of the Freightliner walk-in-van chassis MT-45 and MT-55 will be available with the GM Vortec 6.0 gasoline engine.

The NPR has been available with this option in the past, but with the 2009 closure of the GM Janesville, Wis., plant where the truck was assembled, the option has been off the table. Now, however, the company has announced that the gas-powered NPR will be back in production in the second quarter of 2011 as a 2012 model-year truck. The assembly location will not be announced for another month.

The option will be available on the NPR and the NPR HD and also on Crew Cab models.

While the models and most specifications of the Isuzu gas truck remain unchanged from the previous offerings, there will be several new features, including a 6-speed automatic transmission that will be standard on the 2012 model year. All gasoline N-series models are standard build with the 6-liter V-8 engine with 325 horsepower and 360 pounds-feet of torque.

The Freightliner chassis has the same engine and is equipped with a standard Allison 1000/2000 Series transmission. The announcement of the option indicates the gas-powered chassis will feature an up to 320 horsepower range. According to Freightliner, this is the first time a 6-liter GM engine has been mated with an Allison 1000/2000 Series transmission.

The WIV chassis have a GVWR of 14,500 to 23,000 pounds. Currently undergoing revenue-producing durability testing, the gas-powered chassis is expected to go into production during the third quarter of 2010.