The Isuzu Cubic is a heavy-duty single-decker bus that Isuzu built between 1984 and 2000. Most examples were city buses, supplied either as complete buses or as chassis for outside bodybuilders, and the range covered step-entrance and low-floor layouts.
Isuzu Cubic at a glance
| Maker | Isuzu Motors, Japan |
|---|---|
| Production | 1984–2000 |
| Class | heavy-duty single-decker bus |
| Layouts | two-step, one-step and non-step (low-floor) |
| Supply | complete bus or chassis |
| 1984 models | P-LV214, LV218, LV314, LV318 |
| 1990 models | U-LV218, LV224, LV318, LV324 |
| 1992 one-step | U-LV870L |
| 1995 models | KC-LV280, LV380, LV880; NE-LV288 CNG |
| 1998 non-step | KC-LV832 |
| Hybrid | CHASSE hybrid bus |
based on one source (English Wikipedia)
History of the Isuzu Cubic
A city bus range
The Cubic was introduced in 1984 as Isuzu’s heavy-duty single-decker, and it remained in production for sixteen years. The range was primarily a city bus, though it was also sold as a bare chassis for bodybuilders, which made it common with a variety of bodies across Japan.
Two-step, one-step and non-step
The two-step models were conventional step-entrance buses; the one-step versions had a lower floor with a single step at the door; and the non-step version was a true low-floor bus for easier boarding. The model names followed Japanese type-designation rules, with LV codes through the generations: the P-LV214, LV218, LV314 and LV318 of 1984; the U-LV218, LV224, LV318 and LV324 of 1990; and the KC-LV280, LV380 and LV880 of 1995. A compressed-natural-gas version, the NE-LV288, appeared in 1995, the one-step U-LV870L in 1992 and the KC-LV832 non-step low-floor bus in 1998. A CHASSE hybrid bus was also part of the Cubic family.
Place in the range
The Cubic served Japanese city operators through the 1980s and 1990s and was withdrawn in 2000, by which time Isuzu’s bus range had been reorganised around the Erga for city work and the Gala for coaches. Because many Cubic chassis were bodied by outside firms, surviving buses carry a wide variety of bodywork even where the mechanical parts are identical.
Design and features
- Three layouts: two-step, one-step and non-step low-floor bodies.
- Complete bus or chassis: sold for outside bodybuilders as well as finished.
- CNG version: the NE-LV288 of 1995.
- Hybrid: the CHASSE hybrid bus in the Cubic family.
Isuzu Cubic versions
- Two-step (1984–1990s): conventional step-entrance city buses such as the LV214 and LV318.
- One-step (1992): U-LV870L and later KC-LV880L.
- Non-step (1998): KC-LV832 low-floor bus.
- CNG (1995): NE-LV288.
- CHASSE: hybrid bus.
Isuzu’s other buses are the Erga city bus and the Journey; the Turquoise was a smaller model. More vehicles are in the Isuzu collection.
Video: 【3DFHD】伊丹市営バス 365 25(ISUZU CUBIC) JR伊丹-大阪国際空港-JR伊丹 前面展望(‘12.11.13)
Video by TCNetwork on YouTube.
Sources
- Isuzu Cubic, English Wikipedia: history, models, layouts
