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-   -   Owner's take: My Isuzu V-Cross 4x4 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/190157-owners-take-my-isuzu-v-cross-4x4-2.html)

Brialliant write-up, loved it!

I'm in the market for a new car and I'm seriously considering the V-Cross. I currently drive a diesel Ertiga (which will go to wifey and we will dispose off her swift) which has served me very well for the last 3 years. My driving pattern is a 30Km commute everyday in Bangalore traffic and a high speed run to the farm (250km from Bangalore most of it on a 4 lane NH) over most weekends. I did a short test drive of the V-Cross last week at work and have asked for a longer one this weekend....apologies on the long context setting my specific questions to you are

a. How would you rate driver fatigue on long drives compared to your Cruze?

b. The biggest apprehension for me if the wafer thin dealer network (Only 1 in KA!) is this something you though through?

c. Is there any estimator for the services costs considering this needs a service every 5K kms?

Greatly appreciate your feedback and wishing you many miles of happiness with Emma!

Welcome to the journey Caadmara, and wish you the best...
To answer your Q's:
- I found it less comfortable than the Cruze on highways, but more comfortable on winding and broken roads. Pressure points are lower back and arms - after around 600 kms - felt this at the end of my Goa-Mumbai journey, post a 1600 kms round trip over 4 days. On the flip side, the high driving position is very mentally relaxing on fast roads.
- My dealer is 30 kms away (Navi Mumbai), so wasn't worried. Definitely something to consider if you're not within range. Or you can see it as an excuse for a road trip!
- The car does not need service every 5k kms. The reported confusion came about because the 1st service is at 5k, and the 2nd at 10k. Isuzu has a 10k service interval, and the 20k oil change has been revised to 10k basis customer feedback. I've mentioned my 1st service cost in the review, 2nd will know in a week or so.

Will be watching out for you Rohan24 hahaha!
Thank you for the comments, you cracked me up.

Thank you Azzitcr - it's good to know one is not alone when taking flak! The Classic is an icon, I wish I had the money to buy one when it was launched.
Ref Hilux plans - I'm sure that manufacturers are watching Isuzu India very carefully. This will take years to become a volume segment (as a passenger car), but I remember (some) people saying the Maruti 1000 would be a flop. After all, who needs more space and power than a Maruti 800 on Indian roads?!

Congratulations on your new car. I missed buying that Isuzu by just 11 days. I got the Duster awd and then it was launched. Very indepth review and loved the way you narrated the ownership.
Wish you many happy miles.

Congrats Vivek. Enjoyed reading through your ownership write-up.

Wishing you many many happy miles with Emma.

Give a shout if you are anywhere in the vicinity of Bangalore on any of your future trips.

Cheers,
Uday

Congrats!! A well articulated review with and excellent sense of humor. Killer.

Coming to the star of the show, the V-Cross was the first true blue pickup (or should I call it a "truck" in deference to those pickup crazy Americans!!). Yes the Getaway and the Xenon were there but had their rough edges given their lineage. The V-Cross is the first one that was truely aspirational from a lifestyle vehicle POV.

The accessories are tastefully executed. I especially liked the roller lid which is very discreet and compact too.

Happy trucking!!
Drive on,
Shibu.

Came across this video on youtube. Thought it might be of interest to you VivOverland. Few SUVs were taken for laps through some challenges and obstacles and their times recorded. The V Cross came second only to the grand dad of all SUVs - the Jeep Wrangler, beating the Merc G350, Toyota Land Cruiser and Even the LR Discovery. Ofcourse it did come with Arctic truck accessories but then its competing with cars twice its price. SO that should be fine I guess :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5nPt6cHIe8

Rightly said sir, but in the current landscape I think we can substitute the Maruti 800 with the Swift. There are way too many Swifts and their mutant siblings than I would want to see on the roads. But thats the sad reality in our glorious country. For most, an automobile is simply point A-B transportation, like a refrigerator at home thats supposed to quietly do its job without any fuss. The Maruti 800 and the Swift do just that.

Test drove the vehicle yesterday. My observations below
1. The ride was fairly bumpy with 2 people on board
2. Somehow couldn't find the right seating position. The highest seating position was acceptable but with lower settings, it will be difficult to drive the car (I am 175 cms tall)
3. This was the first 4x4 vehicle I have driven. There was slight power drop when I engaged 4H mode. Dont know if this is normal.
4. Rear seat was firm and leg room was acceptable.
5. Engine was not as responsive as some of the other diesels I have driven recently. With low accelerator inputs, the vehicle stalled once. I have driven some vehicles which move with just the clutch modulation. Impact of higher weight maybe?

Overall a Jack-of-all vehicles at lucrative price tag. Someone looking for a premium experience, should look somewhere else.

Great review VivOverland. Your Isuzu looks lovely. The review was a fresh change to more datacentric ones. You should write more than just a review, a travelogue may be.

Happy miles on the Aadhi Gaadi !!

Regards,

Pawan

Yes, I absolutely love his writing style and sense of humour. You might go through his intro thread and a short travelogue with his v-cross.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...my-family.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/introd...und-edges.html

Congratulations and I am slightly jealous as you were able to convince the mrs. for the car :)

I have been in love with this car ever since it launched in India but when I was ready to buy one I was given the same age old raga saying I am not going around in a truck so here I am still wondering when will the perception change :Frustrati

Update: 2nd service completed.

Emma went over to JMD Isuzu (Mumbai) yesterday for her 10k service. 10,242 on the odo. She is 4.5 months old.

Work done:



Tyres rotated, but JMD was not able to do the wheel balancing which I had requested in the morning. By afternoon, was told that it is a long process and would need to leave the car overnight! Couldn't understand this strange logic... Anyway I needed the vehicle for an upcoming drive, so will do the balancing at a later stage.

Total cost of 2nd service was Rs. 8,247 - including Rs. 500 pickup and drop charges, and Rs. 495 for a (3M) wash which I asked for. Taxes were a cool Rs. 1,319! So my take is the normal 2nd service should cost around Rs. 7,000 including GST. Car was picked up at 1030, and returned the same night.

Also took the opportunity to fit the bug deflector, cost Rs. 4,000. Read about pros and cons here. Basically, since SUVs (UV in this case) tend to have a taller stance and more upright windshield - the chance of bug hits is higher. I do see this at speeds over 50 kmph, as my daily drive includes a fast highway passing through fields on either side. Felt sad for the poor butterflies being drawn into Emma's grasp, and then poor me having to stop and handle butterfly funeral services. This should help. People say this avoids pitting from small stones on the trail, perhaps it does - I haven't experienced this yet. Haven't managed to take pictures yet, will do so soon.

Based on some sterling advice from Tejas to keep tyre pressure down before mudplugging - I was looking out for a good tyre inflator. Will be confidence inducing when escaping Fiona or her relatives in the future. Amazon Prime was useful and got a decent deal on the Michelin 12266. Rs. 4,515 versus the MRP of 6,695. I notice the price fluctuates like the stock market post demonetization, it's currently selling at Rs. 5,438. Delivered within 48 hours (1 day earlier than confirmed). 5 stars to Amazon for that one!



Pros:
- compact and well proportioned. Fits snugly beneath the front seat, plenty of leg space for those with longer pins. Comes with a handy soft pouch with a drawstring.
- not too loud, although advertised as 95 db. Please see this noise chart for comparison.
- high quality, would expect no less from Michelin and at this price point. Switches and display are well made, the casing is tough with good ventilation points as well.
- does exactly what it's supposed to, with no fuss. Topped up 4 tyres in less than 5 minutes, about 40 seconds per tyre (from 27.5 to 29 on average).
- comes with additional plug ins, to fill (foot)balls and the like.
- everything is nice and ergonomic, the air tube and power cable stow away into recessed sections of the main casing.
- the LED light is very useful when topping up in dark or shaded areas, and even when camping.
- excellent idea to have an additional 12V (car-type) socket, and also a USB charging point inbuilt.

Cons:
- while quality is great, I felt it was a bit overpriced compared to its' competition.
- the pouch could use some padding, useful during those OTRs where things do tend to slide and shift around a bit.
- as per the Amazon Q&A, it is not compatible with bicycle tyres (IDK why).
- the display is difficult to see when under operation. You have to trust the machine will reach its auto set point and cut off (which it does).
- air tube could have been slightly longer, would allow for more leeway to place the machine and resolve the problem above.

Detailed specifications -



Overall, I really liked this product. No nonsense, does what it's supposed to, and seems built to last. Fits in well with the car and it's usage cycle.

For those who are interested in more details, I found this useful review on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk3JCaO_ihU

Continuing my hunt for useful kit, found this cheap fire starter. You may well ask, why not just carry a lighter? And you're probably right. However, sometimes, it is best to go back to basics and this allows you to start a fire with just some paper / dry leaves / kindling. Also a fun exercise for the kids to learn about how fire spurred our species progress to global dominance. :OT

Badged as the "RSITM 1.4" Survival Tool Magnesium Flint Fire Starter Lighter Kit for Outdoor Using HUI-62716". I could start a fire, in the time it takes to say that name!





Great value, at just Rs. 199. Very easy to use, you can see it in operation here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb3_4OPHyNU

Congratulations on your car. It looks awesome on road. Saw it at the Bramhand Signal today morning. The rims look great. Enjoy your ride and safe driving.

One of the best write-ups I have come across in some time !
Congrats @VivOverland for owning one of the epic vehicles in India right now :)

Since you have owned the vehicle for a good amount of time now, I wanted to know few things about the ride quality. I happened to take the VCross for a spin (for about 30 kms) over the craters (read roads) of rain-struck Bengaluru. For most part of the journey, I was driving the vehicle with my wife on the rear seat. For 10 kms, I sat on the back seat while the showroom guy drove the vehicle. The entire journey was on normal roads and had no winding ghat section. But after the ride, I was feeling quite nauseated. Almost like a vertigo that you feel when you go on a winding ghat road in the 3rd row of SUVs. Do you feel something like that?

Also, the showroom guy mentioned that the car was pending its service (26,000 kms run) and there was some problem with the pollen filter which would be replaced. Is it possible that the pollen filter was the culprit for the nauseating feeling?

Lovely to see a well written, witty first hand account of this rare species of SUV. And your spirit of discovering very less known useful tools is amazing.
Congratulations VivOverland on your beastly ride and thanks for a great writeup.