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Spartan and Isuzu to Build Vans

Specialty vehicles manufacturer Spartan and the American division of Japanese manufacturer Isuzu announced yesterday they have partnered to assemble Isuzu's gasoline-powered N-series chassis and build a next-generation commercial van based on the existing Isuzu diesel powertrain.

"We expect these agreements to be the beginning of a long-term relationship with one of the leading diesel engine and commercial vehicle manufacturers in the world," John Sztykiel, Spartan Motors CEO said in a release.

"This relationship with a market leader like Isuzu enhances Spartan's ability to leverage our capacity and engineering and manufacturing expertise, which is critical as the landscape for the commercial vehicle market is being transformed by economic, environmental and regulatory forces even as the market is poised for growth."

Under the terms of the agreement, Spartan will build the N-Series chassis to pair it with a GM 6.0l V8 gasoline engine. Production of the new model will begin in 2011.

The van to be built by the two will be rated at 12,000 lbs GVWR and will have a wide range of cargo capacities. Under the hood will be the 3.0l 4 cylinder Isuzu engine, developing 150 horsepower.

"The new van project has been in development for more than 18 months and represents a significant portion of our R&D spend. It clearly positions Utilimaster for market share gains and a proprietary platform for entering new delivery and service niches, while taking advantage of other market applications over time," Sztykiel added.

"This agreement marks the early achievement of some of the promise we saw when we acquired Utilimaster last year and the continuation of the innovation trend that has been one of Spartan's hallmarks since our founding." 
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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