2000 Isuzu VehiCROSS Review
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By Paul A. Eisenstein

Overview

If you're looking for a sport-utility vehicle that immediately sets you apart from the crowd, you don't have to go much further than the Isuzu VehiCROSS. This show-stopper began life several years ago as a concept car that was popular among auto show visitors. It was launched as a production vehicle for 1999.

The VehiCROSS name seems designed to position this macho machine as the functional equivalent of a cross-training sneaker, and indeed, it's got the appropriate mechanical credentials for serious on and off-road driving. But the most remarkable aspect of the vehicle is its daring styling. The VehiCROSS has a Star Wars quality to it, as if Darth Vader penned the design.

This radical appearance extends to the unexpectedly spacious interior, but it does create some compromises a potential buyer should consider, particularly when it comes to limited rear visibility. Overall, however, the VehiCROSS brandishes serious defining character in an increasingly crowded and homogenous SUV market.

Model Lineup

VehiCROSS is a three-door sport-utility available in one basic flavor. However, you can also order a special Ironman package with the trademark logo of that famous triathlon on the hood, C-pillar and tailgate, and embroidered into the seats and floor mats. The basic VehiCROSS goes for $28,900, while the Ironman model adds another $995. To these prices add $695 for dealer destination charges.