Isuzu D-Max V-Cross Test Drive Review

Driving Dynamics – The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross has a very heavy hydraulic steering which makes the car a bit difficult to drive at parking speeds. Your arms get a good workout while parking the car in tight spaces and the large turning radius of 6.3-metres just adds to the woes. However, the steering does provide good feedback and feels confidence-inspiring on the highways. Handling is decent at cruising speeds but during cornering you do feel a lot of body roll. Straight line stability is excellent and the car never loses composure.

The truck gets a leaf spring suspension at the rear (useful for load carrying) and an independent wishbone with coil springs at the front. The ride is very bouncy, especially on empty load. While the front passengers will still find it acceptable, the bounciness is way more at the rear. Even when there are slight undulations on the road, it all filters inside the cabin. In comparison, the Tata Safari Storme has a much better ride. The Isuzu can tackle any sort of broken roads without breaking into a sweat and you can feel confident of taking it anywhere. You get disc brakes up front and drums at the rear. While the brake pedal lacks feel, stopping power is above average. The 245 mm tyres also have nice levels of grip.

Safety and After Sales Service – The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross has a service interval of 5000 kms while oil changes are recommended at every 20,000 kms. This means that you’ll have frequent visits to the service centre. Also note that Isuzu has a very small service network across the country which is quite an irony for a car that is meant to take you places. In Maharashtra, the company has one dealership each in Navi Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. On the safety front, you get dual front airbags and ABS with EBD as standard equipment since there is only 1 trim on offer.