Isuzu D-Max was recently spied on Indian roads, and rumours suggest that it could launch sometime around mid-2021
Last year, Isuzu Motors discontinued the D-Max V-Cross, along with its other passenger models, ahead of the BS6 deadline. The Japanese manufacturer has been rather slow in rolling out its BS6-compliant models, and currently, it only sells commercial vehicles in our market. That, however, is expected to changes soon, with the launch of the BS6-compliant V-Cross and MU-X in India.
A new set of spy pictures has emerged online recently, in which a partly camouflaged Isuzu D-Max V-Cross can be seen during a road test. However, this is not the latest-generation model, which is currently on sale in a few international markets. Instead, this is the older-gen model, which was previously on sale in India. The test-mule wears a ‘Ddi’ badge on the tailgate, which refers to the 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine.
In its BS4 avatar, this engine belted out a peak power of 150 PS and a maximum torque of 350 Nm. It was offered with only one transmission option – a 6-speed automatic gearbox– which can be also be seen in this spy picture. We expect the BS6 version to have the same specifications as before. A 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine was also offered on the BS4 V-Cross, but we’re not sure if that would be available on the upcoming BS6 model.
The exterior gets a healthy dose of chrome on the front grille, door handles, and fog lamp surrounds, which looks nice. The interior of the Isuzu V-Cross doesn’t seem to get any changes compared to the previous model, much like the exterior. There doesn’t seem to be any soft-touch material in sight, and the cabin feels largely utilitarian in nature.
The features and equipment list is expected to include all-LED lighting, automatic climate control, push-button start/stop, multi-function steering wheel, a touchscreen infotainment system, dual front airbags, traction control, ESP, ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors.
Before discontinuation, the Isuzu V-Cross was priced from Rs. 16.54 lakh to Rs. 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), and we expect the updated model to be priced at a significant premium over this. The V-Cross doesn’t have any direct rivals in the Indian market at the moment, but there are speculations suggest that Toyota Hilux could launch in India in the near future.
Image Credit: Sumit Shinde
