[Getafix]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

apart from the brand that too debatable, I don't see XC60 better than Endeavour,don't forgot Volvo used to be Ford company and may still be using their engines ! You can settle for Trend which should be around 31 or so on-road. Apart from the panoramic roof, you won't miss anything rather I find head space in the one without roof better.

yes, I will updated, so-far upgraded Audio setup and changed Lights to LED lamps for higher beam and HDI for low, also changed parking and interior lights to white Osram LED. I am in touch with ARB as well Ironman to get front Bumper changed and even might change suspension for height and overall comfort which should probably get better.

Please keep posting about your modifications.

Both the bumper and suspension change sound very interesting. What have you planned for the cargo bed? Planning to leave it open or cover it?

Also, any concerns about the aftersales work done from outside workshops?

Originally Posted by //M

A very simple suggestion, the Endeavour 3.2 4x4 and the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross are very very capable cars in their respective segments as far as mile-munching and mud-plugging is concerned.
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All the best for your decision making.

Thank you sir, for the sensible advice.

The overall situation, however, is a little complicated, in that I already have cars to meet the needs. Also, being a bachelor who lives alone, all my cars are in any case at my disposal. Buying an Endeavor as well as the Isuzu will be a bit of an overkill, even for me.

The itch, I guess is a little akin to a mid-life crisis. And because I can neither afford a Red Ferrari, nor do I think there is any sense in buying one here in India, the quandry exists.

I guess its best to Test Drive all these and just go with the one that appeals to me the most. In the meanwhile, I will keep following Mr. Turbanator's modifications on his car.

[Turbanator]

Planning to leave it open or cover it?

Looks you have missed this thread - have a look at my truck

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4021163

Also, any concerns about the aftersales work done from outside workshops?

Not really, I have got Audio system installed from Motor concept - Delhi , professional guys, expensive but they worked neatly. Details of equipment are in the other thread. Yesterday I got a Pioneer Active Subwoofer ( Pioneer TS-WH500A) from Chandigarh - Puri Auto again one of better place here & the truck sounds sweet.

https://www.facebook.com/MotorConcept/

The itch, I guess is a little akin to a mid-life crisis

In that case, go for Isuzu - get it modified to your taste

[mani]

Originally Posted by Getafix

The overall situation, however, is a little complicated, in that I already have cars to meet the needs. Also, being a bachelor who lives alone, all my cars are in any case at my disposal. Buying an Endeavor as well as the Isuzu will be a bit of an overkill, even for me.

Been following the exchange with some interest. Whilst, I can't afford most of the audiophile and other mods recommended by Turbanator - at one go, after putting down by down payment for this truck - I do endorse Turbanator's suggestions in spirit.

You can obviously afford most Swedish or German or Italian sets of wheels, but from one bachelor to another, that's not going to satiate your midlife thirst. Two months after enjoying the gizmo gadgetry on those you'll be looking to quench your thirst again. Get the pickup. Mod it the way you want. Do it, undo it, redo it. The infinite mods are magnetic enough to arrest most attention spans.

Plus neither the Endeavour nor the Volvo have a deck for one to sit & and fish - for whichever fish the bachelor has a taste for.

Hope to see your Isuzu Dmax pictures soon

[dkaile]

At 12.91L ex-showroom and with all creature comforts, this sure looks one interesting vehicle. Can anybody confirm whether the loading bay will be able to fit a dirt bike which is so mentioned in the Autocar review, specifically a Royal Enfield Himalayan? It's loading capacity is 265 kgs, so the weight of the Himalayan should not be a issue at 182kgs. The length of the loading bay at 1485mm which can be extended by a further 500mm by opening the hatch, can be a issue, as the length of the Himalayan is 2190mm and wheelbase is 1465mm. So maybe it will fit diagonally with handle crossed and rest can overhang. If anyone could confirm, I would be most thankful.

Cheers...

[Turbanator]

So maybe it will fit diagonally with handle crossed and rest can overhang

Not sure about Himalayan but smaller Duke does fit in apparently unless this is photoshopped Perhaps you can visit Chandigarh and try firsthand,dealership here is quite supportive.

[mani]

Originally Posted by dkaile

At 12.91L ex-showroom and with all creature comforts, this sure looks one interesting vehicle. Can anybody confirm whether the loading bay will be able to fit a dirt bike which is so mentioned in the Autocar review, specifically a Royal Enfield Himalayan? It's loading capacity is 265 kgs, so the weight of the Himalayan should not be a issue at 182kgs.

Sure it's an interesting vehicle with infinite possibilities for modifying it as per one's personality and needs. The 265 kilos payload for the deck seems to be a misnomer as mechanically this is the same unit as sold abroad - in the 3 litre and 2.5L (a higher state of tune though) iterations. However, the payload limit for those trucks is 1000 kilos (1 tonne). Additionally, those trucks are rated for a 3 Tonne + towing rating .

I suspect the Indian iteration has probably been downgraded for payload keeping in mind our weird rules of classification for commercial vehicles. 265 kilos will make the vehicle must be conforming to private registration requirements. But since mechanically and physically it's the same truck, I fail to see how this can only be loaded to 265 kilos. Hence, my conclusion that it's capable of triple the advertised payload.

Strictly my perspective.

[mohanaj]

Originally Posted by dkaile

The length of the loading bay at 1485mm which can be extended by a further 500mm by opening the hatch, can be a issue, as the length of the Himalayan is 2190mm and wheelbase is 1465mm. So maybe it will fit diagonally with handle crossed and rest can overhang. If anyone could confirm, I would be most thankful.

Cheers...

The advantage of V-cross is, it can be customized for individual tastes and requirements, and various accessories are available locally and internationally.

An accessory like this may help.

http://isuzu.co.uk/accessories/show/...ender-iacc2754

[Getafix]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Looks you have missed this thread - have a look at my truck

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4021163


Not really, I have got Audio system installed from Motor concept - Delhi , professional guys, expensive but they worked neatly. Details of equipment are in the other thread. Yesterday I got a Pioneer Active Subwoofer ( Pioneer TS-WH500A) from Chandigarh - Puri Auto again one of better place here & the truck sounds sweet.

https://www.facebook.com/MotorConcept/



In that case, go for Isuzu - get it modified to your taste

That looks really good Mr. Turbanator. I am seriously contemplating following your car's build for a while, and then just go with whatever you have chosen. As much as I love driving, it has never been easy for me to figure out the mod options.

This is kind of embarrassing but I haven't even had the patience to go through owner's manuals for any car till date. Hence the thought of piggybacking your ideas. Hope you won't mind too much.

Originally Posted by mani

Been following the exchange with some interest. Whilst, I can't afford most of the audiophile and other mods recommended by Turbanator - at one go, after putting down by down payment for this truck - I do endorse Turbanator's suggestions in spirit.

You can obviously afford most Swedish or German or Italian sets of wheels, but from one bachelor to another, that's not going to satiate your midlife thirst. Two months after enjoying the gizmo gadgetry on those you'll be looking to quench your thirst again. Get the pickup. Mod it the way you want. Do it, undo it, redo it. The infinite mods are magnetic enough to arrest most attention spans.

Plus neither the Endeavour nor the Volvo have a deck for one to sit & and fish - for whichever fish the bachelor has a taste for.

Hope to see your Isuzu Dmax pictures soon

HAHAHAHA!!! Cool play on words, fellow bachelor.

Reminds of that unforgettable line from the eminently forgettable Batman 3, when Val Kilmer (playing a very poor Batman) says to Nicole Kidman (playing an even worse Dr. Chase): "It's the car, right? Chicks love the car."

Mods, no misogyny or offense intended towards my fellow car lovers, male or female.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Next I tried to take the vehicle over an innocent looking dip. I did not pay adequate attention to the long wheelbase of the V-Cross. Midway across the dip heard a scraping sound and immediately stopped. That was a mistake, should have gunned it and the vehicle would have made it without any problem. It was loose soil, so damage would have been minimum. However, it was too late and the vehicle got beached. Tried a lot of things, pushed it, rocked it, asked people to stand on the loading bay to put additional weight on the rear tyres, but the vehicle did not budge.

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Ever since I had got the V-Cross stuck at this place I had been wanting to go back to the place with my Thar or Bolero. So one morning bhpian Navsjab said that his Thar would be the backup vehicle in case I got stuck and insisted me to try to it out.

What had been playing in mind was whether the v-cross had got stuck due to the long wheel base or the inadequate articulation at the rear. The Thar has one of the shortest wheelbases among the currently sold 4 wheel drive vehicles in India.

Here is the video of the Thar at exactly the same place and I drove it at the same pace as the v-cross -

https://youtu.be/qrAEyDcUXrY

From the video it is evident that even 2 inches more of wheelbase would have got the Thar stuck as well. The silencer was already hitting the ground. Thankfully there was no rock and the ground was quite soft, hence there was no damage. I am sure the Bolero with the longer wheelbase will base get stuck at this place as well. Will take it there someday after the monsoon is over.

[AJ-got-BHP]

It was around 5:30pm yesterday evening when I saw this post on facebook in the Kolkata Offroaders (KO) Group whereby someone was seeking help/ assistance. Sharing the message :

Assistance required at Rajarhat, Kolkata. Isuzu V-Cross stuck in mud during test drive. Tried pulling it out with a Duster but due to lack of proper towing cable, unable to move the V-Cross. Any skilled off-roaders around Rajarhat who might be willing to help?

I am sharing the shared pictures :





















Kudos to BHPian 1100D who jumped into the action as a savior and did what was required to get the V-Cross out from where it was stuck. What could not be done in hours, was done in a matter of minutes by 1100D's Scorpio 4x4 aka Marengo.

I am a novice to Off-Roading and would like the Guru(s) to comment on this incident as to what may be the real cause of the V-Cross getting stuck. Debatable as such a similar situation was witnessed by a number of BHPians previously also at the time of Test Driving the V-Cross.

• Is it the long wheel base ?
• Is it the extended rear overhang which without being loaded plays spoilt sport ?
• Is it the tires ? Is it under tired by any means ?
• Can it tolerate extreme off road conditions or will it bottom out and do a see saw ?

Furthermore, what is questionable is that does ISUZU not have a Back Up vehicle or a Recovery vehicle to overcome such situations ? Imagine the customer seeking assistance on social networking sites.

What customer service are we talking about here ? If the situation is such before buying the vehicle, the ambiguity remain as to what follows after the purchase is made.

[TwistedFaith]

I am pretty clueless about 4x4's in general - that said - I suspect what was faced here (and also before with the TD vehicle) is mostly due to two factors:

#1. Long wheel base. A few posts back it was mentioned that a Thar barely managed to get over this point and was saved by its short wheel base (I am assuming this is the same location)

#2. Removal of Brake Traction Control - the successor to the previous generation Limited Slip Differential that the truck is shipped with internationally in the Indian avatar to save a few bucks.

Could be either one of these or maybe a combination of both in my mostly clueless opinion.

As for Isuzu's customer service - I would not blame Isuzu and would instead point the finger at the Dealer who may be quite inexperienced in off road conditions.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Originally Posted by TwistedFaith

As for Isuzu's customer service - I would not blame Isuzu and would instead point the finger at the Dealer who may be quite inexperienced in off road conditions.

What suffers is the brand and it's prospective clientele at the end of the day. Knowing the fact that previously the V-Cross has managed to get stuck in other Test Drives as well; are the ISUZU guys proactive enough to enforce the dealer to send along a Back Up vehicle at the time of 'Off Roading Test Drives' ? Do they have an In-House recovery van or a Back Up V-Cross to do the needful.

The comment shared on the social networking site said "Lack of Proper Towing Cable"

[Uprasenjit]

Its definitely the wheelbase. The wheelbase is too long to overcome that obstacle. I think you should know the limitation of a vehicle before getting stuck

We went to the same location yesterday to check why the V-Cross was stuck. Here are some videos -

Blackpearl in his Bolero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DvE_YUieco

Navtej in his new Thar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXDbh0aFu2c

A friend of mine in his TUV 300

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6-Oo89bweE

What we learned is that the Thar having the smallest wheelbase didnt have any problem. It could cross the section in 2WD mode.

The Bolero has larger wheelbase than the Thar had a lot of wheelspin. Thus Blackpearl had to engage 4H.

While the TUV could also cross the hump, but due to less GC it could have damaged some parts, we we asked him to reverse.

[chaudh2s]

Its unfair comparison. The trio of bolero, thar and tuv having known the approach used by vcross (and hence getting stuck), used a different approach and got help from concrete slab at the departure. I think vcross got stuck due to driver incompetence rather than the vehicle itself.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

It was around 5:30pm yesterday evening when I saw this post on facebook in the Kolkata Offroaders (KO) Group whereby someone was seeking help/ assistance. Sharing the message :

That was my friend Dr. Parikshit Bhattacharya. I am just glad that my Team BHPian friend helped my xBhpian friend.

They were stuck for 2.5 hrs and 1100D got them out in 2.5 minutes.