There’s always a right time for a product to launch, especially in a sensitive market like India. There have been many examples of a good car launching ahead of its time and several examples of auto companies getting too late in launching a worthy product in the market. Pickups have been popular around the world but in India they haven’t been accepted the way they have been in many other markets. Homegrown auto makers Mahindra and Tata have learnt it the hard way by launching cars that didn’t make a mark. Now a Japanese company Isuzu is trying to change the order and its weapon of choice is the D-max V-cross, a vehicle it says is a great combination of adventure and utility. We got behind the wheels of the V-cross, took it on the road and off it.
Looks
There’s no doubt that because of its pickup design, the V-cross has already gained a lot of popularity in the market. The twin cabin along with a large loading bay aims to solve the needs of a lot of people who’ve been waiting for a good looking pickup to come to India. The bold, aggressive stance only adds to the muscular design. A bit of premiumness is added with the presence of chrome on the front grille, side view mirrors as well as door handles. Flared fenders, big roof rails and 16 inch alloy wheels add to the adventurous character the company is aiming for. The loading bay is of generous size and the tail gate can be left open to accommodate a slightly larger object. With some accessorization one can also get the loading bay covered which adds to the practical options.
Interiors
The D-max V-cross is aiming to be premium and luxurious from inside and somewhat succeeds in doing that. The good things first; it’s a well laid out cabin with buttons placed well ergonomically. The black and beige color theme works well and seats are comfortable. A touch screen unit is easy to use and comes with Bluetooth telephony as well as AUX and USB controls. Storage spaces are good and the grab handles placed on the A pillar are a very useful touch. However there’s a limit to being luxurious and it shows in the quality of plastics used. The second row is big on leg space but the seats cannot be reclined (though there is a 60:40 split option) and there are no AC vents either. One big miss is the absence of a rear parking camera or even parking sensors and reversing while especially parking is a tall order.
Drive
There’s a sole diesel engine option on the V-cross. It’s a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder motor. A 132bhp, maximum power isn’t very high but what turns the story in its favour is peak torque of 370 Nm. Because of that the 5-speed manual gearbox isn’t put to use a many a times and even at slow speeds the car crawls up an incline at rpm’s below 1000. The good torque also translates into a decent enough mileage and even in the city this big pickup might be able to deliver around 12 kmpl. A top speed of 140 kmph is easily achievable a 0-100 kmph figure stands at around 15 seconds. A soft chassis means a smooth ride quality which means the bad bumps are soaked in well. Being a pickup the V-cross can’t be a great handler but keep it within its limits and it doesn’t disappoint.
Off-road characteristics
A sturdy side bar, a decent ground clearance and yes an efficient 4-wheel drive system are some of the attributes that make the D-max V-cross an able off-roader. The shift on the fly 4WD system works very well and a nicely designed rotary dial facilitates the change of ratios between 2H, 4H & 4L. We took the vehicle through a series of tests that included hill ascent and descent, thick mud and deep slush an in almost all situations the pickup lived up to its positive reputation. Once again the good torque and the very impressive traction control mechanism make the V-cross a good set of wheels to play with off the road.
Verdict
Isuzu’s claim of the D-max V-cross being a vehicle that mixes adventure with utility seems to fit the bill perfectly. There’s only a certain amount of luxury one can expect in a car like this, especially at a starting price of around 13 lakh rupees (ex-showroom). Spend a little more and you get a lot of nice customization options (side bar, loading bay liner and touch screen system). The timing is just right for a vehicle like this and the one thing Isuzu needs to work on is having more dealerships and service centers as that will give the prospective buyers a lot of confidence.
Shams Naqvi is an anchor/producer for the News X motor show Living Cars