WATCH: Isuzu D-Max V-Cross declares war on Hilux and Ranger

Isuzu has significantly raised its game with the seventh generation D-Max bakkie that was launched locally last week.

The workhorse and mid-spec offerings in the new Gqeberha-assembled Isuzu D-Max range pack more punch than the sixth-generation models.

And at the sharp end of the stick, the V-Cross debuts as the 23-model line-up’s new figurehead.

The V-Cross is not merely a sticker upgrade from the LSE models. It is a comprehensive top-end leisure offerings that is bravely taking on the figure heads of its main rivals, the Toyota Hilux Legend, the Ford Ranger Stormtrak and Wildtrak and the Nissan Navara Pro-2X and Pro-4X.

Isuzu is not renowned to offer out-and-out top-end leisure offerings, but rather reliable and no-frills products with some decent mid-spec options.

But with South Africa being bakkie country and a lot of action happening in the top-end leisure segment, it was an opportunity to hard to resist for Isuzu.

ALSO READ: Isuzu D-Max lifts game in bakkie battle against Hilux and Ranger

One thing local buyers of leisure bakkies want is flashy styling and that there is no denying the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross looks proper windgat.

It features 18-inch dark grey matte alloy wheels, gun metallic finishes on the grille, fender flares, door handles, mirror caps, roof rails and hooped sports bar.

Inside, there are leather seats and eight-way electronic adjustable driver’s seat, with a very comprehensive sets of safety specifications completing the package.

The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross is offered in rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive derivatives, which is priced at R760 100 and R814 700 respectively.

It comes standard with a 3.0-litre DDI turbodiesel engine that is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and produces 140 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque.

Isuzu does not expect the V-Cross to be a volume seller, but it should go a long way into changing buyers’ perception that the Japanese carmaker is capable of much more than only building sturdy bakkies.

For more information on the new Isuzu D-Max, click here.