Re: Isuzu D-Max V-Cross : Official Review Just returned yesterday from a Goa drive in my V-Cross, over the Independence weekend. 1400 kms round trip.
Fantastic experience, the feeling of having a literal truckload of space felt great! Wife very happy not to be 'restrained' by boot considerations hahaha. The Carryboy roller lid was handy, although the lock is fidgety (3 failures in 2 months) and doesn't instil confidence at all. Maybe just the piece I got, but still...
While the car handled like a dream, I did feel she's more suited to the classic Indian state highways, and got quite bored driving on the NH4 (4 lane GQ route). Speed is no issue, got to 140+ in several stretches but it's not the smartest thing to do, in a 2 ton truck with the wind resistance of a charging Rhinoceros.
A steady 120-130 is very achievable and feels smooth. Missed having cruise control.
The Uttur to Amboli stretch was liberating... with the high GC and leaf spring rear, the car just kept pushing me to go go go. All my previous rides (Cruze, Figo, Swift, Palio) would have been broken taking some of these stretches at 40, let alone 60kph as i did this trip.
Kids slept like - well, babies - while I surged through the potholes.
In Goa, we could go anywhere. Access to even the most inaccessible shack or unusable beach parking spot was a goldmine for us during the busy long weekend. Gotta plan for that turning radius though!
The tailgate was super handy when enjoying views beachside, and also when changing the kids post their castleing in the sand LOL.
Returned via Margaon - Mollem - Bhimgad - Belgaum - Kolhapur - Mumbai. Left at 4am so got the pleasure of experiencing Bhimgad sanctuary at 6am as the fauna awoke. No sightings but loved the jungle sounds as we sipped through the park. Touched the GQ at 7.20 am and caught breakfast at Kaveri for once.
Mileage from the trip was a decent 11.2 as per the display - I haven't adjusted for my 17 inch rims. Need to fit a larger tank though. Got spoilt rotten by the Cruze's incredible range.
All in all, a highly recommended family experience. This car is a hot seller in most markets for this reason. In India the showboat status rules the roost, but I can strongly advise a family buyer to at least check out this option if you're in the market for a new SUV.
However, be warned there's nothing semi about this UV. You WILL go offroad in this. And know that there's no cure for that disease! |