The story
Isuzu showed the VehiCROSS at the 1993 Tokyo show and then, remarkably, built it almost unchanged, using inexpensive ceramic stamping dies and a raid on its own parts bin: the short-wheelbase Trooper's chassis, the Rodeo's dashboard. Ceramic dies wear out quickly, so scarcity was built in from the start. What emerged was a short, tall, armored-looking 2-door with a titanium-finish grille, a matte black hood panel and a spare wheel hidden inside the tailgate, sold in Japan from 1997 and in America from 1999 with a 215 hp 3.5-liter V6.
Underneath, it meant business. BorgWarner's Torque on Demand system shuffled power between the axles on its own, a proper low range waited for the rough stuff, and its monotube dampers with external reservoirs came straight from off-road motorcycle racing. The ride is firm, the rear window nearly useless and the fuel economy poor, but a VehiCROSS took class stage wins on the 1998 Dakar, and Four Wheeler rated it best for trail and highway performance in its 2000 comparison. American buyers wanted bigger, more familiar trucks, and production stopped in 2001. Those who own one now tend to keep it for good.
