[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by powertrain

Hello Guys,
Uploading the VCross brochure
Powertrain

Thanks for posting the details, So it gets 6 speed Auto unlike the 5 speed on the MUX

It will be a good idea to pick this over the standard from the initial lots as these will coming as CKD kits. Before Isuzu India starts indigenisation

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by powertrain

Hello Guys,
Uploading the VCross brochure.

Regards,
Powertrain

So the 1.9 is still only BS4 compliant, and the price is already up to 20L ex showroom. Why did they even bother with BS6 being just a few months away?

[The King]

Since they have downsized the engine from 2500Cc to 1900CC, the main thing would be, is to see how much torque is available from 1000-1600 RPM range band.

There is no match for high volume engines with bigger low end grunt when climbing inclines and hill starts on fully loaded vehicle.

[Comrade]

If anyone is interested in this car, they should find out out why isuzu website says limited edition (while supplies last).

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Comrade

If anyone is interested in this car, they should find out out why isuzu website says limited edition (while supplies last).

Attachment 1907536

Not bs6 ready is most likely the real reason camouflaged by some paint scheme.

[HVSC]

This is good news, even though I feel its slightly overpriced! I am surprised about the lack enthusiasm over this on the forum.
Any other body on frame in the same price range that I can't think of?

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

So the 1.9 is still only BS4 compliant, and the price is already up to 20L ex showroom. Why did they even bother with BS6 being just a few months away?

The term they use is BS VI ready, this means a BS VI engine without the software for BS VI and the DPF which will be getting choked by additional soot from the current engines.
Few months down these changes will take place, and the lable will change to BS VI. The Toyota 2.8 lit, Harrier, Compass and Hector are doing the same, there may be a few more doing it too.

Originally Posted by The King

Since they have downsized the engine from 2500Cc to 1900CC, the main thing would be, is to see how much torque is available from 1000-1600 RPM range band.

There is no match for high volume engines with bigger low end grunt when climbing inclines and hill starts on fully loaded vehicle.

Totally agree to this, but a torque converter means considerable torque multiplication, and lack of torque can be masked by converter slip in low gears.


Rahul

[padmrajravi]

Considering the pricing of the current crops of CSUVs, 25 lakh on road does not seem bad. What other SUV can you get with 6 airbags, diesel automatic , low range and shift on fly 4WD? The next one available is compass which will look like a hatch back in front of this.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

So the 1.9 is still only BS4 compliant, and the price is already up to 20L ex showroom. Why did they even bother with BS6 being just a few months away?

Fully agree. Also, if this is a BS VI ready vehicle, I would have liked to see them launch it AS BS VI given it is only a few months away. No harm in selling a less polluting car right a few months ahead of schedule?

Personally, I find the pricing ridiculous - overpriced by at least 1.5-2 lakh. although if you are in the market for exactly this kind of vehicle with an auto tranny you are selecting from a class of 1. So I guess perhaps they think they can milk the pricing.

[Turbanator]

Got a chance to drive this, Engine is completely different, far refined than anything else in this segment or even better over Fortuner/ Endeavour. The way this Truck picks the momentum is to be experienced, far better over the earlier lethargic 2.5 L. Auto box works perfectly with no jerks or increase in RPM's like Endeavour. Most of the components are from Thailand as they have not used many Indian parts as of now and only limited Trucks are being made available for the current Year. So don't expect any discounts or on the contrary, dealers may ask for some mandatory accessories.

The disappointing thing was suspension, there is absolutely no change in the way this handles over the regular 2,5 and you feel the road defects, right at the steering wheel. I am not sure if they use the same setup overseas or they have skipped changing the suspension and used the one from the past generation. Definitely needs a change via ARB/ Ironman route. Interiors are Okish, not very different from the other models and definitely not in the league of Fortuner/ Endeavour.

In my opinion, they should give this engine/ gearbox combo in MUX as well.

[RedShiftEuropa]

[I posted initially as a newbie in the Reviews section. But, clearly, I have to add more detail before publishing there. So that post is in the "Assembly line" section for now, and I will add more detail before it gets out of the Assembly line.]


For now, here are my first impressions of the automatic DMAX that I bought this Sunday:



Got the automatic version yesterday. (The Z-Prestige badge vehicle)

And, after enjoying team-bhp for so many years, I think the minimum I should do is to post some information that I hope will be useful to others that are considering this vehicle.

Quick background: I loved the Dmax when it got released in India. To top it off, a friend of mine bought one a year or so ago, and he accessorized it to an amazing vehicle.

One catch for me: I wanted an Auto version, and that wasn't available. Plus I started living in India more frequently only in the last couple of years.

Anyway, Isuzu announced their "Limited Edition" Z-Prestige version. It's an automatic!

I booked it without a test drive. I knew I'd like it. (Yes, I LOVED it, on my drive yesterday as I drove the newly purchased one home from the dealership!)

Anyway, now straight to some of my observations. I may be able to provide more detail later. My thoughts below are not necessarily in any logical or sequential order. I'm numbering them for convenience.

1. The 1.9L engine is good! There is the obvious expected Diesel Engine noise once in a while, but I started loving it.
2. City driving is a breeze. I had no problems pulling up to cars ahead of me, and passing around them. - I guess everyone's experience is different in this regard. I've driven similar sized (and more powerful) vehicles before, so for me, the size wasn't an issue. (In fact, if any, Indian driving conditions are somewhat new to me - I've driven 2 decades in the US).
3. The Automatic is just fabulous. I personally am not a fan of stick shift for large vehicles, and in cities. And especially in India city traffic, I just didn't want to keep my left hand and leg busy on the gear lever and the clutch. So, the Automatic completely fits into my preference.
4. The Auto responds very well in city traffic.
5. On the highway (I drove about 80km on a controlled access highway today), the vehicle settled at about 1800rpm while cruising at 100kmph.
6. I used the cruise control (a feature that I like very much) and it works as expected.
7. Entering a reasonably busy traffic lane from a complete stop was not bad at all. It gave me a good feeling to pull up quickly from zero to regular city speeds.
8. The audio that came with it sounds great. I played songs from YouTube Music via Bluetooth. Audio was clean and high fidelity. Yes, I could skip ahead to the next song from the steering mounted audio controls.
9. Phone calls via bluetooth were clear.
10. Night time visibility was great with the LED lights.
11. The ride height was enjoyable. (I'm close to 6)
12. The leather interiors are beautiful, and comfortable.
13. Mom and dad rode with me today. Mom in the front passenger seat, and dad in the rear. They loved it. (in spite of it's tough suspension!). I guess it's also because they see that I was totally enjoying it!
14. Yes, the suspension is tough. Not a soft cushy ride like cars, or luxury SUVs like the GX460 or X5 or Q5/7. In fact, not even as soft as regular SUVs. But, I expected toughness and it did not disappoint!
15. It has most of the features that I like: 4x4, Auto transmission, Keyless entry, Leather interior, auto climate control, Cruise control, Good ground clearance.
16. I am not a full blown off-roader for off-roading's sake, but I do plan to drive quite a bit on rural roads, and to explore small towns and villages. I enjoy those rides. And the VCross will take me there!

Do I have any disappointments, now that I actually bought it? (and didn't even test drive this, or any Vcross).

No. Emphatic No. I love it. It's what I wanted. If Isuzu releases a 3.0L version in the future, I may consider it for the fun of it, but the 1.9L is great.

Observations during my drive, that I will try to get some clarification on:

• The Auto power button for the driver side window works only for the DOWN direction. This is the first car I've experienced this. Every other that I owned has both up/down Auto. The dealer said this is the way it is. I am not sure if he is right. I will have to check the driver's manual sometime soon. As you can see, I didn't even open the manual yet!
• While driving on the highway today, I heard a short beep about every 3 to 4 minutes. Couldn't pinpoint what it was. I have a suspicion that it was the low battery on my cell phone that was connected via Bluetooth to the car. The audio console was showing the battery level as very low. I am not sure that this was the cause however. But in the later part of my drive today, I didn't hear the beep again. (My phone battery was charged by then).

I plan to accessorize. Maybe a 2" lift kit, and slightly bigger tires.

And: { (Black roll bars + Black bedliner) OR
(Isuzu DBox tonneau OR Carryboy tonneau)
}

That's it for now! In short, I completely love the vehicle, in just the first day of driving.

I will be happy to answer questions if any come by.


Some Notes: SoumenD and Turbanator responded to my review during it's brief life outside of the Assembly line.

SoumenD asked:

What speeds were you doing while you heard it? As per new norms all new vehicles have the 80kmph(intermittent beeps) & 120kmph(continuous beep) warning installed. It might be this one.

That might be it! I was driving at around 98kmph at that time.

Wow. Really? It's a new rule? That beep is quite annoying, and on highways, surely many would go above 80kmph.

Turbanator suggested:

Instead of going for larger tires or 2-inch lift, better invest in good tires and upgrade the suspension to something from ARB Or Ironman. Anshuman and his team here in NCR have a couple of V Cross and they had a lot of problems when they were using larger tires, You can connect to him privately or here before going for a lift. If it's for a snob purpose than its ok but for functional usage, a switch over to ARB will serve you well.

Thank you Turbanator. Maybe I shouldn't use the "2-inch lift" phrase. I think my friend suggested that I go for the ARB Oldman EMU 30mm suspension (which I'm guessing would up the height by 2 inches? Sorry, if this is too elementary, but I'm new to the Pickup and Shocks scene!) btw, I don't have PM privileges yet. Still a newbie to the forums!


I do plan to keep the 18" alloys, but maybe up the tires to a slightly longer diameter, and increase the width a bit. Any advice appreciated!

[ram87pune]

AutocarIndia reviews the D max V cross Automatic. Taken by our very own S2. Check it out -

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj2tTgXRVa4

[johannskaria]

Though i'm a big fan of the current gen V-cross, I just love the interiors of the upcoming V-cross. Even in the looks department, they have upped the game.

2020 Isuzu D-max V-cross

[wheelguy]

BS VI upgrade to result in substantial price hike: Isuzu India

In one of the first official messages on BS-VI impact on vehicle price, Isuzu says BSVI D-Max V-Cross, MU-X SUV will be dearer by Rs 300,000- 400,000. The price hike for D-Max Regular Cab and D-MAX S-Cab CVs will be between Rs 100,000- 150,000, ex-showroom.

The OEM urges buyers to avail schemes before it closes production of BS-IV vehicles in December, 2019. Prospective buyers can enjoy price ceiling and scheme benefits for its existing range of D-MAX pick-ups and mu-X SUV.

Allaying customer concerns, Capt. Shankar Srinivas, the company spokesperson said, “As per the government announcement, BS-IV vehicles purchased on or before 31 March 2020 will continue to run even after implementation of BS-VI norms coming in force from April 2020. Isuzu would like to notify its new and existing customers about the price hike next year and urge its customers to make appropriate vehicle purchase decisions whilst availing scheme benefits that come with the range of Isuzu utility vehicles.”

3lakh to 4lakh hike on ex-showroom price for V-Cross and MU-X respectively! That's too steep, I wonder if it's just to push the prospective buyers and fence-sitters or is it for real.

Source: Autocar Professional

[ram87pune]

Originally Posted by wheelguy

That's too steep, I wonder if it's just to push the prospective buyers and fence-sitters or is it for real.

This is increasingly looking like a real scenario to me now. Even N.Raja of Toyota had mentioned the same price hike for the Innova and the Fortuner. So I don't think it is just a ploy by the manufacturers to get the customers to buy the BS4 cars.