Remember the one mentioned in the previous issues of the four-wheel drive sister, which was labeled by many well-known car brands in the eighties, supported the SUZU Isuzu Trooper (portal) half of the off-road vehicle, and at that time, it was produced on the same platform as it, and there was an off-road vehicle that looked like a "future chariot" - Isuzu VehiCROSS.
With such an avant-garde, cool look, can you believe this is a car from 1997?
Fast forward to 1981, when Isuzu tried to enter the passenger car market due to the impact of Japan's economic development, is a product of Isuzu TROOPER. Although it sold well, in the 1990s, this boxy shape like other off-road vehicles at that time was no longer popular, and Isuzu needed a new product.
At the 1993 Tokyo Motor Show, Isuzu unveiled a concept version of the VehiCROSS. If Isuzu Trooper is an unpretentious muscular macho, then VehiCROSS is like an alien.
The thick body with huge wheel arches is wild, while the honeycomb mesh with the small front face composed of chrome strips like vampire teeth, as well as the radical three-door design and suspension bumper and wheel eyebrows, even look a little cute.
Isuzu doesn't intend to compromise on the appearance on the production car, so the production version looks the same as the concept version.
Although its shape is very exaggerated, it is actually similar to the level of Jimney, which belongs to a compact SUV. The length, width and height are 4130/1790/1690mm, the wheelbase is 2332mm, and the minimum ground clearance is 195mm.
However, in terms of power, the 3.2 L V6 gasoline engine is directly removed from the TROOPER, and it also has the TOD four-wheel drive system developed by BorgWarner. When driving on the road, this system will disconnect the four-wheel drive system, with two-wheel drive to reduce wear and save fuel, and off-road, not only can the torque of 312N· m be output to each wheel, but also according to the depth of the throttle and the speed of the pedaling, the front wheel power can be distributed, avoid idle rotation, which was a very advanced configuration at the time.
In 1998, the VehiCROSS car won the second and fourth divisions of the Dakar Rally, which was known for its rigor.
Due to the Japanese government's restrictions on the size of cars, vehiCROSS is only available in three doors, but Isuzu doesn't stop there. Both the Concept Four-Door Edition (VX-4) and the Roadster (VX-O 2) were exhibited at the 2000 Los Angeles International Auto Show, but neither entered production.
In 2007, Isuzu donated the two concept cars to the Peterson Automobile Museum, but after the museum's renovation, there are more new exhibits to be displayed, and the two cars were sent back to Japan and dismantled in 2017.
Isuzu also introduced VehiCROSS to China, and has a very domineering name in the country: Iron King Kong. However, due to the low output of 500 per month and the expensive price of 1 million yuan, its number in China is very rare.
In 2001, with Isuzu's strategic exit from the passenger car market, the VehiCROSS, which had only been in production for four years, was only four years old (1997-2001), and production was discontinued. Although it eventually produced only 5,958 vehicles, it won a lot of praise for its sci-fi appearance and advanced and reliable mechanical qualities.
Motor Trend featured VehiCROSS on its May 1999 cover and listed it as one of the "Top 10 SUVs with the Most Unique Looks." Four Wheeler named the VehiCROSS "runner-up" for the 2000 Quad of the Year.
Although Isuzu discontinued VehiCROSS in 2001, it is still hot in the secondary market, and its spirit is eternal.