[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

The ever increasing breed of wildlife(and other) photographers who need to carry a lot of equipment; adventurers who love camping and farm house owners along with a few enthusiasts are the ones who will be interested in such vehicle.

Though the Isuzu looks good on paper as a lifestyle vehicle, to make it practical for usage, it will need the addition of a Canopy which is a 2+ Lacs addition, and a Bedliner and an entertainment system with reverse camera at the most basic level. With these options, the price on road crosses almost 18 Lacs! At this price somehow it makes much more sense to go with the Innova Crysta GX variant instead, which will be 16.84 onroad. With the Innova, one gets a much more reliable product (with great resale value) and also a 7 Seater vehicle and also plenty of protected storage (with the third row seats folded). The only difference being that the Innova will not be an offroad vehicle (but seeing the Innova doing duty in Leh every day for years actually earned a lot of respect for the vehicle).

Seeing also the Niggles in the Isuzu - like water entry in the cabin and the rusting seat base are also a huge put-off for prospective buyers and one is very doubtful of the long term performance of the vehicle.
Other aspects like the Beige interiors and seats will also be very difficult to keep clean and will make ownership a challenge.

It would have been great if Isuzu would have introduced a Diablo edition in India instead at a ex-showroom price of 14.5 Lacs- that would have given users a fully loaded vehicle at a good price.
The Diablo edition is with Black Interiors and Red leather seats , and inbuilt entertainment system and also a Dbox and a Roll Bar and also new alloys and also an AT transmission (this could be omitted for India).














(Images from Paultan.org and full article on : http://paultan.org/2015/03/13/isuzu-...ablo-launched/
I feel that the Future of the Dmax Vcross in India depends on their ability to bring out such customised versions, which will help gain better acceptability in the India market.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Detritus

who exactly is the target audience for a 4x4 pickup in India, given that there are regular 4x4/AWD SUVs already for offroad enthusiasts? What do you do with the acre of truck bed space unless you're in the business of hauling cargo (which means you'll probably require a commercial vehicle license)?

A lot of people will buy it because it's different. For the style, for the character.

Does every Porsche 911 Turbo / Ferrari 458 owner hit the top speed of their cars? How often do they sprint from 0 - 100 in 3 seconds? Do they explore its handling limits ever? 99% of owners don't even have the driving skill to do so. And unless you live in Delhi-NCR and pay track rentals at the Buddh, no one in India would. Even those supercar owners who do drive on the Buddh would do so a handful of times a year (at best). Sure, you can have fun on ghats or the expressway, but those occasions will be few & far between.

When it comes to niche vehicles, most people buy them because of their desirability - few do because of its capability.

Originally Posted by mrpitt

Is it possible it was just an issue on the Test Vehicle?

Could be, couldn't be. We will report on the basis of the vehicle provided to us.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Why do some 4x4s have RWD only mode?

Cost.

Originally Posted by atu2good

Any guesses if Isuzu is going to launch an automatic version of the V Cross?

Isuzu definitely should. A majority of customers spending 15 lakhs and up prefer ATs.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Though the Isuzu looks good on paper as a lifestyle vehicle, to make it practical for usage, it will need the addition of a Canopy which is a 2+ Lacs addition, and a Bedliner and an entertainment system with reverse camera at the most basic level. With these options, the price on road crosses almost 18 Lacs! At this price somehow it makes much more sense to go with the Innova Crysta GX variant instead, which will be 16.84 onroad. With the Innova, one gets a much more reliable product (with great resale value) and also a 7 Seater vehicle and also plenty of protected storage (with the third row seats folded). The only difference being that the Innova will not be an offroad vehicle.

I believe Cresta with body on frame structure and rear wheel drive is more SUV then a 2WD XUV and far better in all respects. The only Issue is that it does not come with a 4X4 option but that is hardly used in any case.

The only advantage of V Cross is 4WD option and macho looks. 4WD option without differential locks and pathetic tyres will hardly make much difference.

[autobahnjpr]

I saw the V-Cross recently in Chandigarh in Elante Mall and judging by the crowd gathered lot of people were showing interest. You have to lift the back gate to know how heavy it is. The car is a truck and my guess is, it would be very safe on Indian Roads and even in the case of an accident, the heavy body would provide a very good shield.
They also showcased a customized version of the V-Cross where the back loading area was covered and was make into a family saloon.

For someone in rural or even urban area to have a vehicle for both business and family use, it would be a good choice. I am not sure how it performs on the hills, but if it is good, then lot of Mahindra Max owners in Himachal may switch to V-Cross.

[centaur]

This is one of the reviews I have been waiting for long. Absolutely in love with this one and the review just makes it better but really not sure if I will get to own one because of the resentment back home. One can surely overlook most niggles but mud water getting into the cabin through the hand brake, fogging headlamps and seat rusting is a serious turn off. I hope Isuzu takes the quality aspect seriously else they will be killing this one before it does some good numbers

EDIT - I think the BSF and other security forces will surely find good use for this. In one of the Expo pics I do see a person in military uniform near the VCross

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by mrpitt

I'm quite surprised you felt this way. I drove the V Cross recently for a good 45 mins and did not find this to be the case at all. I actually felt the NVH was very controlled and actually helped make this car as laid back as it is.

Is it possible it was just an issue on the Test Vehicle?

It is possible. JMD isuzu in Mumbai has 2 test drive cars one black (from pre-production batch) and one official test drive vehicle which is from the newer production. I found a lot of difference between the two. The black one felt sluggish, heavier and had a flat spot while accelerating. However the white one with the Dbox and a lot of accessories fitted (read heavier) had better engine response, better fit and finish and the steering felt much lighter. Both had done approx 5000 kms.

After probing with the manager, I was informed that the pre-production cars were not upto the mark and were not meant for delivery/sales. The flat spot has been rectified by some ECU tweaking which I could feel on the white car.

[Kamran Mohsin]

Excellent review. And an extremely detailed one at that!!! I get the pick up part of it and appreciate that some people want that huge tub at the back. I have had & driven pickups for the last 10 years all over Africa and besides the fact that they can take a lot of abuse, I have not found them to be at an advantage over a station wagon SUV. Having said that, they do not have a down side either IF and that is a big IF you have that tub specifically zeroed in for a purpose like carrying bulky loads, stinky fish and wet rafting shoes. It's a choice, you either love it or hate it. Kudos to Isuzu for bringing it in though but that appalling build quality highlighted here need addressing pronto. Rs 15 lacs or Rs30 lacs, build quality is not a factor to compromise on as is safety. I was shocked to see the rust on the seat and water ingress thru the hand break!!! Absolutely shocked!!!! Still, I would spend my 15 lacs on a second hand Toyota land cruiser 80 series or even a 100 series. But like I said, that my choice.

[gongura]

Originally Posted by tazmaan

It is possible. JMD isuzu in Mumbai has 2 test drive cars one black (from pre-production batch) and one official test drive vehicle which is from the newer production. I found a lot of difference between the two. The black one felt sluggish, heavier and had a flat spot while accelerating. However the white one with the Dbox and a lot of accessories fitted (read heavier) had better engine response, better fit and finish and the steering felt much lighter. Both had done approx 5000 kms.

After probing with the manager, I was informed that the pre-production cars were not upto the mark and were not meant for delivery/sales. The flat spot has been rectified by some ECU tweaking which I could feel on the white car.

The VIN number from the picture posted in the review above is
M3GTGS864GB100010. After decoding it, it appears that this is vehicle was manufactured in January. Its quite likely that this is a pre-production vehicle.

If i'm not mistaken the Sri City plant went online in April, in which case this might have been produced in the HM plant (?).

[prasanna.vps]

Originally Posted by sjcherian

Nice review and photos.

I didn’t get to change to 4H but a friend who did said it was smooth and didn’t feel any loss in power while doing so.

Since I did that on that drive, would like to elaborate. We rode on a strip that was broken up by road breakers. The truck didn't flinch when we got on to the strip, in fact it was so stable that I maintained the same speed that I entered in.

Switching to the 4H mode on the fly with the knob was done without any drama (confidence inspiring, if anything). It was so smooth that we were wondering whether the 4x4 mode actually kicked in!

The story was a little different on the guys sitting at the back, as one of our friend complained of feeling "nervous" and pleaded to reduce our speed for fear of losing control. Little did he know that I was driving close to 50 KPH! Overall, for dealing with really bad roads and potholes.

Strangely, coming from driving hatchbacks, I felt completely at ease with driving this humongous beast on a normal traffic road. The road presence is immense. Contrary to what we thought before the drive, we never felt the car was awkward due to its length overall. Braking power is adequate, in fact we were encouraged to brake test from 3 figure speeds, we didn't do it due to our concern for the backseat passengers who were not wearing seat belts.

Interiors were par for course, I really liked the idea of the cup holder for the driver that can be cooled. Now, why cant more expensive models come up with that?

On long highway drives you will definitely miss a cruise control. Wonder why they left it out, should not have been difficult to incorporate. Under thigh support is strictly OK if you are normal height (5'5" to 5'8") anything above and its going to be not a pleasant feeling sitting at the back for long hours.

Overall, it left all of us with a B-I-G smile on our face. To, the big question now.

Would I buy it? Not as a primary vehicle but a secondary one to do those long rides and weekend camping/adventure trips. The thing is, I ride a lot in the city (Yes, I drive my TB500 bluebird), a hatchback is perfect for city especially parking.

In conclusion, I might be more tempted to rent one of these than buy as usage will be sparse. I hope zoomcar and ilk will soon induct these beauties in the fleet for me to give it a spin.

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by gongura

The VIN number from the picture posted in the review above is
M3GTGS864GB100010. After decoding it, it appears that this is vehicle was manufactured in January. Its quite likely that this is a pre-production vehicle.

If i'm not mistaken the Sri City plant went online in April, in which case this might have been produced in the HM plant (?).

Thats helps a lot I just decoded my VIN number which comes to August Manufactured. Thanks.

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by mani

It's called a pickup, Sir, and many people in this country like millions around the world love the fact that someone has the guts to be a segment starter.I have bought this and LOVE it.

With due respect, it is a double cab, with an useless backseat. When I need a pickup, I'll buy one proper- not a double cab which is not a double cab.

So we agree to disagree.

Originally Posted by N.r.K

I think it's an superb move by Isuzu.
One, they operate in a niche with little competition.
Two, they get good visibility in the enthusiast community which help immensely when the release more products in the future.
Three, they can get away with a lot of the initial manufacturing niggles as long as they can address and rectify them!
Imagine if you had the same issues in a 15 lakh SUV. People would have been cursing the company like its the end of the world.
The typical niche pick up buyer is anyways looking to modify heavily! Will probably be a lot more patient than a typical urban SUV buyer.

I'm sorry I didn't elaborate. My fault.

First the market size- Private users' Pick up market itself is niche`. And this is double cab. I agree, it is niche`niche`.

Two- Why do you think "enthusiasts community" is actively looking at pickups?
If you are talking about Off-road enthusiasts, here is what I think
This vehicle is too large. It is longer by a feet and half than a Safari, which itself is not small. It is wider too. (A visual observarion as both vehicles were parked next to each other in the lot next to mine today) It won't fit into India off road trails. Now, my experience is limited to south Indian rain forests, mostly done NOT for enthusiasm. These trails are made by Mahindra vehicles. Anything with wider track will struggle. Adding to it, the length ensures it can do offroading as much as a Tata 407 can. If your reference to "enthusiasts" were in another context, please ignore my comments.

About your point three, they already have (had?) an SUV in the market, which looks inferior to the Pickup. And V-Cross itself is in the market for 4-5 months now, not that anyone know. Going by your logic, they should have gone the other way- launch D-Max first and then SUV (what is its name?). Slow learning curve, huh?

Without going further, this is a brilliant strategy by Isuzu, if the company is NOT focusing on generating sustained revenue and profits from Indian Market. We did agree somewhere

[N.r.K]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

First the market size- Private users' Pick up market itself is niche`. And this is double cab. I agree, it is niche`niche`.

Two- Why do you think "enthusiasts community" is actively looking at pickups?
If you are talking about Off-road enthusiasts, here is what I think
This vehicle is too large. It is longer by a feet and half than a Safari, which itself is not small. It is wider too. (A visual observarion as both vehicles were parked next to each other in the lot next to mine today) It won't fit into India off road trails. Now, my experience is limited to south Indian rain forests, mostly done NOT for enthusiasm. These trails are made by Mahindra vehicles. Anything with wider track will struggle. Adding to it, the length ensures it can do offroading as much as a Tata 407 can. If your reference to "enthusiasts" were in another context, please ignore my comments.

About your point three, they already have (had?) an SUV in the market, which looks inferior to the Pickup. And V-Cross itself is in the market for 4-5 months now, not that anyone know. Going by your logic, they should have gone the other way- launch D-Max first and then SUV (what is its name?). Slow learning curve, huh?

Without going further, this is a brilliant strategy by Isuzu, if the company is NOT focusing on generating sustained revenue and profits from Indian Market. We did agree somewhere

I should have been more clear! I meant get more visibility with the enthusiast crowd! Isuzu isn't really spending big bucks on marketing.
This is not a launch like how VW did!
But they still managed to capture the attention of the enthusiasts. Because it was a niche product launched at a good price.
I didn't mean the car itself was for enthusiasts. My bad!

Their previous SUV was built in HM's plant. And if i'm not wrong they were CKDs.
These are built in their own plant.
And it takes time, money and/or both to streamline the plant, have the right vendors and basically set up the house.

In this phase, I think a pick up is a good product! Its not going have major demand. They can sort out all their issues while still reaching out and creating a brand image without spending big bucks.
More importantly they need to set up distributors, showroom, service infrastructure and the likes.

In my view, Isuzu are just starting off. They will launch a lot more products after they set themselves up a bit. Gives them enough time to study the market as well.
Much better than the bang bang approach that certain companies take!

[parvezshah]

I have Installed BakFlip F1 and Pop & Lock Manual Tailgate from www.tonneaufactoryoutlet.com it costed me $962.83 + $425.00 (fedex) = Rs 96K ... surprisingly no duty was levied.
Isuzu Bangalore did the installation.
It's an amazing cover, allows me to use 100% truck space, and keeps my stuff safe and dry.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by parvezshah

I have Installed BakFlip F1 and Pop & Lock Manual Tailgate from www.tonneaufactoryoutlet.com it costed me $962.83 + $425.00 (fedex) = Rs 96K ... surprisingly no duty was levied.
Isuzu Bangalore did the installation.
It's an amazing cover, allows me to use 100% truck space, and keeps my stuff safe and dry.

The Bakflip cover is a great practical choice as it allows cargo to be kept safe and can also be folded back to use the height for taller items.

http://youtu.be/A0xDTttbeJI

Only thing you need to be careful is that it is not waterproof and water seeps in through the sides and floods the load bay-Though it should be waterproof. I recommend getting a tirpal type cover on top for safety in rains.

[mani]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

With due respect, it is a double cab, with an useless backseat. When I need a pickup, I'll buy one proper- not a double cab which is not a double cab.

With equal respect, to me your argument is non est. I drive the Vcross everyday and have two people in the rear none of who have complained about any discomfort. You need this to be your commute or expedition vehicle or whatever else to make that assessment. A ride or two on an abused test drive vehicle hardly qualifies as a rounded conclusion.

Most of us are just happy to own a comfortable pickup that costs slightly more than a Honda city and goes places that Honda city can only fantasise about and can realistically be used as a daily commute vehicle.I haven't driven my sedan since 13.09 - the day my Vcross was delivered.

My 0.02¢