[raider9990]

I used to adore V-cross since its launch, but I had no idea that one day I will be driving one. The Isuzu V-cross is a unique vehicle and owning one is an altogether a different experience in its own. This machine stands out in the crowd wherever you go.
I was not in the market looking exclusively for V-Cross, I had an open mind and was ready to consider all the options. There were few parameters that I was looking for in a car-

1. Should be a body on frame construction.
2. Should have 4-wheel drive with low range.
3. Should be rugged enough to handle the off-roading abuse.
4. Should be mod friendly with plethora of aftermarket options available.

The Isuzu V-Cross was not my first choice, there is always little hesitancy in going for something unconventional. I considered few other vehicles before V-cross:

1. Mahindra Thar- This is like a default option If you are in the market for a proper 4-wheel drive vehicle. But the previous generation Thar (2020) was just too basic for my liking. So, the idea of getting a brand new Thar was scrapped. I started searching for a used Thar with a low run, but the vehicle must have few things done to it like a semi hard top or hardtop and rear front facing seats. I kept Thar as a last option if nothing works out for me.
2. Toyota Fortuner 4x4 Mt- Fortuner was high on my list, specially the 4x4 manual. Endeavour was not considered due to lack of manual transmission. Though Fortuner ticked everything on my list but spending 40 lacs on a vehicle that you are going to experiment with a lot was not the best idea.
3. Scorpio s11 4WD- After Thar the next vehicle that came to my mind was Mahindra Scorpio S11 4wd. I even went to check the vehicle at dealership, but Mahindra had stopped the production of BS4 S11 4wd Scorpio at that time. The dealership had only 2-wheel drive version. The GM of the dealership was a close friend and was ready to give tempting discount on Scorpio, but I was adamant on getting the 4wheel drive only. We already had a Safari storme VX 4x2 in our family so getting another 2 wheel drive SUV was something in which I was not interested, if I was not in the market for a 4wd vehicle then I would have loved to get my hands on Skoda Octavia.

After considering all the vehicles above mentioned, we came to a halt and decided to wait for new Thar or bs6 Scorpio 4WD. After few days on one fine morning my father mentioned about V-Cross and at that point I was literally smiling from ear to ear. Isuzu V-Cross was always on my mind, but I did not know how I would be able to fit it in our lifestyle. Since my father was ok with considering Isuzu V-Cross as an option, I called the dealership right away.

My hometown is Bathinda (Punjab) and there is no Isuzu dealership, the nearest ones are either in Mohali or Ludhiana. Since I was doing my PG from Chandigarh and most of time I used to stay at Mohali, the dealership at Mohali seemed a good idea.

I talked to Mr. Naveen at Isuzu Krishna Automobiles, Mohali and he agreed to arrange a test drive whenever I wished. I was in Bathinda due to weekend holiday. On first day of the week i.e., Monday I went to the dealership and met Mr. Naveen. He was quite learned and knew about each and every nook of vehicle. He right away arranged a test drive and we took the vehicle on a pretty bad patch of road and it felt like this thing was gliding over the potholes.

I was pretty much sure that I am going for V-Cross, just needed a nod from family and to my surprise everyone gave a thumbs up to the mighty V-Cross.

On Tuesday I told Mr. Naveen that I am interested in buying V-Cross. I was interested in buying the vehicle with manual transmission only, the manual transmission comes with 2.5 L engine.
The standard variant was finalised over high(z). I went with standard because this was not going to be our primary vehicle and standard had everything which was required. The color selected was Pearl White. Few things were added to the vehicle at the dealership:
1. Bedliner
2. Max cover for rear bed
3. Faux leather seat covers
4. Noodle mats


After selecting the variant and color it all came down to final price. Mr. Naveen gave us a fair deal; he offered a discount of Rs.65,000 along with free of cost bedliner worth Rs.25,000. The final price after discount (including 1%TCS, road tax, fast tag, RC fees, insurance) was Rs.17,77,628.
After including the price for Max cover and seat covers (Rs.80000+Rs.16000) the price rose to Rs.18,74,628.



A booking amount of Rs.20,000 was paid on the same day. Mr. Naveen promised us to deliver vehicle within 4-5 working days. Meanwhile all the other payments were done next day.

The vehicle was delivered on 26th February 2020. The dealership experience was quite good and hassle free.

The vehicle was unveiled to us and customary cut out of key was handed over along with original keys. The vehicle had a box of chocolate inside.



The moment I took it on the road this thing felt huge, I came to the dealership on Verna (my brother was driving the Verna) and the transition from Verna to V-Cross was astonishing.




What I like about the vehicle:

1. Proper 4 wheel drive with low range.
2. The unmatched road presence , on many instances I had people coming to me and asking questions about the vehicle.
3. The rear bed is large and can accommodate all your luggage and equipment for an audacious journey.
4. The cabin although seems congested to a stranger but is comfortable enough for 5 adults.
5. The list of features may not be very long but all the features work efficiently. Build quality is good enough.

What I don't like about the vehicle:

1. The engine is although powerful enough but is not responsive to sudden acceleration when required.
2. Interior comes out be little too utilitarian , there is hard plastic everywhere.
3. Unlike other companies , Isuzu does not provide you with any free services . Even 1st General Check up is paid.
4. The same amount could get you a proper family vehicle.
5. The infotainment lacks navigation and do not support apple car play or android auto.


Driving experience – During the initial few days the size of vehicle felt huge but as the time passed and I grew familiar to the dimensions of the vehicle the size was not much of an issue.

The 2.5 Liter engine has been in the market for quite a long time and Isuzu uses this engine in many countries. The engine has a good reputation in many Asian countries. The engine is noisy, on a cold start the diesel clatter is very much audible but once the engine is at its operating temperature the noise is reduced to an extent. The engine does not like to be revved hard. The low-end torque is the highlight of this engine. The output stands at 134 bhp@3600 rpm and 320 Nm@1800-2800 rpm. The power is enough to manoeuver the vehicle in city or highway but a little more power would have been nicer. The car can easily cruise between 100 and 110 kmph at 2000-2500 rpm. The turning radius is quite big in this vehicle and you have to plan for a U turn. This vehicle outshines any car in its segment when tackling bad roads, sometimes you won’t even feel the potholes.


Handling- The V-Cross is a pickup truck and this is very much visible in its handling characteristics. The car has lot of body roll. The leaf spring setup at rear can be bouncy at times. But V-cross never tried to be something else, it’s a true blue SUV with body on frame and when you buy such vehicle you sign up for these things.


Comfort- The car is comfortable; the seats are large with enough under thigh support. The passengers at rear have enough legroom. We did a 12-hour drive with the occupants ranging from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet 2 inches and nobody complained about anything. If the rear bed is loaded, then the comfort levels are increased to an extent.


Exterior- Font of the vehicle is very appealing to look at. The headlights are blacked out and houses Drl, led projector and Turn signal. The grill is huge and there is evident use of chrome on the grill. The fog lamps are halogens in this vehicle. The overall look of the front with everything is quite muscular in nature. The side view of this vehicle cannot be mistaken for any other vehicle. The alloys are 18 inches and give a beefy look to the vehicle.



Side steps are provided for easy entrance and exit. The rear overhang is huge and something that cannot be ignored, but it never caused me any trouble during my drive in the sand dunes. Rear of the vehicle has a large bumper made out of metal, plastic cladding is provided on the metal bumper to make it look upmarket . On upper trim the bumper is covered with chrome. The tailgate is easy to operate, the rear camera is integrated in the handle of tailgate and provides a good view. The tailgate is not linked to central locking.


Interior-Interior is little bit utilitarian, soft touch materials are almost absent in the interior. Anywhere you touch there is hard plastic, but the quality of the plastic feels good.



The interior is well put together. All black theme is carried out in whole interior with silver in the center, in upper trim the silver is replaced by piano black.



The infotainment screen is a touch screen which is average i.e. it’s not as good as new screens available in Hyundai vehicles (just for reference) but it’s not bad either .The infotainment does not support navigation and android auto or apple car play . The infotainment has option of CD player, Bluetooth, aux and usb.



The sound quality of speakers is good but they lack behind if compared to cars within the same price range. The rear-view camera output is integrated into the infotainment screen and its very helpful while reversing the vehicle of this size.



The automatic climate control is just below the infotainment screen, AC works fine in the vehicle and chills the cabin instantly but there are no AC vents in the rear.
There are 3 cupholders in the front and 2 cupholders in the rear.





The seats are large enough with adequate under thigh support both in front and rear. I have installed faux leather seat covers; the vehicle comes with fabric seats from factory in this variant. The seat belts are adjustable for both front passenger and driver.





The MID shows all the essential information like – Range, Fuel efficiency ,Trip A, Trip B, ODO, Time elapsed . The engine temperature and fuel meter are integrated into MID.



The steering wheel is large and chunky. Audio controls are provided on the steering wheel and they work perfectly. Cruise control is missing in this variant.

The fly on shifter is present behind the gear lever.



Usability- This vehicle has been really useful in the last few months. During lockdown we carried 500 kg of wheat from our ancestral village to our home in city.

We plant a lot of trees in our garden and nearby areas and all the runs to nursery are handled by the V-Cross.





I am fond of cycling and I tend to cycle on country roads where the traffic is almost zero, I usually throw my cycle in the back of truck and carry it to the places.



I did my first off-roading trip to Jaisalmer in the V-Cross; this vehicle is the gateway to the off-pavement life.




I have changed few things in V-Cross according to my taste. The chrome grill was replaced by aftermarket grill. I am not a big fan of chrome and the chrome on the grill was just too much for me. I have added Two spot beam auxiliary lights in the front to increase visibility on the trails. The halogens in the fog lamps were replaced by Led lamps. The alloy and tire combination were changed from 255/60/r18 Bridgestone duller ht to 265/65/r17 Falken wild peak at01. I added two cross bars on the top for mounting bicycle rack but later realised it was too much work to put bicycle on the roof.













There are lots of aftermarket options available for almost everything on the V-Cross, but I want to take my time and build this rig according to my taste .

[BANDHAV]

Congrats on this brilliant addition to your garage, mate.

What a big and beautiful thing this is.

I love your Tyre up/Rim down approach for this massive off-roader, the standard practice
in this particular part of country is vice versa.

I absolutely love this vehicle, though the Vcross is too expensive now, I would love to add the Dmax Scab Hi-Ride version sometime in future.

[raider9990]

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

Congrats on this brilliant addition to your garage, mate.

What a big and beautiful thing this is.

I love your Tyre up/Rim down approach for this massive off-roader, the standard practice
in this particular part of country is vice versa.

I absolutely love this vehicle, though the Vcross is too expensive now, I would love to add the Dmax Scab Hi-Ride version sometime in future.

The outer diameter of tyre is around 30.6 inch which gives me a additional 0.6 inch of ground clearance .There is increase of 2% in diameter and 4% increase in width but the most significant increase is in case of sidewall, which is 13.3% or 0.8 inches. The increase in sidewall was my main motive to downsize the rims and upsize the tyres.
Moreover , the good AT tyres in 18 inch are just too expensive .

[Red Liner]

Sensible truck, sensible upgrades and a sensible owner. What's not to like?

Hopefully this truck makes its way into my garage as well.

[GTO]

Amazing truck, oozing with character! Congrats. It's a different kind of kick to drive these pickups. I remember having one for a couple of days for our Official Review and it was a load of fun in Bombay and around. People say that it's too big for the city...I disagree. For me, the bigger the better!

Wishing you lots more fun & smiles with your V-Cross .

[raider9990]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Sensible truck, sensible upgrades and a sensible owner. What's not to like?

Hopefully this truck makes its way into my garage as well.

Thank You . I believe in only adding things that serve a purpose and should not hamper with driving dynamics of the vehicle. I have a long list of upgrades that I want to add to the vehicle but I do not want to rush myself .

Originally Posted by GTO

For me, the bigger the better!

Same goes for me . The size of the vehicle never bothered me but the only issue is that regular parking spaces are never enough for it

[extreme_torque]

If you think about it, picks are kind of the perfect vehicle for India. Road presence, off roadability, tough build and all the space to carry half of your house whereever you go including offroad. Isuzu diesel engine'e amazing and are known to last even longer than Toyota's. Lovely ride there.

[DogNDamsel12]

Aspirational for me too. A friend let me drive his. Loved it. I used to be fond of the boxy designs that Isuzu pickups had - but the driving experience of the V-cross is phenomenal! Congrats and enjoy.

[Tassem]

Congratulations! As a fellow dmax owner, I can promise you you're in for a lovely experience and many many adventures.

The engine is although powerful enough but is not responsive to sudden acceleration when required

Buy a pedal commander and thank me later. You will be shocked at the difference. It's a reversible, plug and play add-on (not piggy back ECU tuner) that completely removes throttle lag. The vehicle will immediately feel light and peppy. Added advantage is that it also has an eco mode that doubles up as an anti wheelspin feature when you need low, precise inputs during offroading. If you need a contact to buy this from, drop me a pm.

My vehicle is remapped as well. However, I always suggest the pedal commander / throttle tuner before getting a remap / ECU piggyback.

[tazmaan]

Congratulations welcome to the V-cross club. You have done ideal number of upgrades which gives the truck the character which is needed. I find a lot of V-crosses with over the top modifications which is not my taste.

I have read your dune bashing thread it looks like you had a lot of fun.

My V-cross is going to be 5 years old, during the first year I was always very anxious while off-roading. But once the new car phobia died I started pushing the truck to its limit and trust me the fun quotient just keeps going up.

You are right about the power and I understand the truck is under warranty but I remapped my truck early on and it completely changes from being adequately powered to peppy.

Things to keep a check on is Brake pads (Low life), 1st set of Clutch (Though improved now after several feedbacks) and diesel quality.

All the best and enjoy your truck.

PS. Truck looks the best when its dirty, my truck below.

[JitendraK78]

Hi raider9990,

Congratulations on getting V-Cross.

It is an awesome vehicle to drive, in city and off-road.

I have been fortunate enough to get to drive all the Isuzu models that were/are in India, D-Max, mu7, S-Cab, V-Cross and muX, from time to time, as I work for Isuzu during their homologation stage.

I absolutely love the way the vehicles ride, irrespective of the transmission (AT/MT or 2WD/4WD), the engine, and the load in vehicle.

The original 3.0L was fun, and the newest 1.9L is at par.

Even a pure transport vehicle like S-Cab can be comfortably used as a family vehicle, even when the suspension is different that the V-Cross.

All the Best....

[Govardhansupra]

Originally Posted by GTO

Please report (Report Posts : Contribute in Maintaining Team-BHP's post quality) your opening post and submit an equal + comprehensive list of likes & dislikes. We'll add it to your review.

Also, all the differences between the trim you have chosen, and the top trim, or the other trims will also be a good addition to the review. Please try if you can incorporate them here.

[raider9990]

Originally Posted by Tassem

Congratulations! As a fellow dmax owner, I can promise you you're in for a lovely experience and many many adventures.



Buy a pedal commander and thank me later. You will be shocked at the difference. It's a reversible, plug and play add-on (not piggy back ECU tuner) that completely removes throttle lag. The vehicle will immediately feel light and peppy. Added advantage is that it also has an eco mode that doubles up as an anti wheelspin feature when you need low, precise inputs during offroading. If you need a contact to buy this from, drop me a pm.

My vehicle is remapped as well. However, I always suggest the pedal commander / throttle tuner before getting a remap / ECU piggyback.

I was looking for EVC idrive throttle controller just few months back but I was not able to lay my hands on one. I am still confused between remap and throttle controller . On one hand throttle controller seems a good idea as its plug n play but on other hand extra horses are very tempting.

Originally Posted by Govardhansupra

Also, all the differences between the trim you have chosen, and the top trim, or the other trims will also be a good addition to the review. Please try if you can incorporate them here.

I will try to add those

Originally Posted by tazmaan

You are right about the power and I understand the truck is under warranty but I remapped my truck early on and it completely changes from being adequately powered to peppy.

Attachment 2115053

If possible , can you provide more details about remap i.e. about tuning company , power figures and over all difference before and after remapping the engine.

[Ragavsr]

Excellent vehicle to own . Lovely pictures. Easily my dream car to own and most practical vehicle in India.

Does this finally have hill start assist standard ? Was shocked to know it didn't have it back in 2017.

In the steep residential streets of Kodaikanal and Ooty,even experienced manual drivers roll back when they have to stop and start on steep incline. The locals revv the hell out and go up. Those from the plains generally don't revv that much at start and inevitably roll back. Happened to me twice.

A pick up truck which is supposed to be used in challenging terrain should have this standard.

[Torquey2300]

Great machine brother!! Congratulations on your purchase, with that wheels it looks absolutely great.

P.s - Happy to see someone from my city (bathinda) , i am also located in Bathinda.