Star of Isuzu’s compact island stand was the Rodeo LE Sport gunning for a slice of the lifestyle pick-up market.
What’s new on Isuzu’s London motor show stand?
Pick-up obsessed Isuzu showed both ends of the truck spectrum in London. A sub-£10k stripped-out 4×2 Single Cab 2.5-litre pick-up stood at one corner while the limited edition 163bhp 3.0-litre Rodeo LE Sport from £23,999 dominated centre stage. The latter vehicle’s de-vaned mesh front grille actually looks pretty smart. Less subtle are the 20-inch Project Kahn-esque wheels and twin ‘treadplate’ high chrome side steps. Inside, blue ambient lighting in the footwells and around the key, Alcantara-style ‘auto suede’ covering all pillars and the ceiling liner, plus leather on the seats and steering wheel lift the conventional interior well.
CAR’s Isuzu highlight
The Sport model has a serious Pioneer stereo developed by world-renowned tuning expert Phil Baker with vibration and harshness issues factored in, 10GB of music storage space and DVD screens in the rear of the front head rests. It’s sound especially good playing Adamski’s ‘Killer’.
What were they thinking?
Those wheels…on a pick-up?
In a nutshell
Isuzu arrives late to the lifestyle pick-up party with a great value truck with loads of spec but questionable style.
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And now read CAR reader reporter Carcare’s review of the Hyundai stand. Be sure to ‘Add your comment’ afterwards and rate their efforts.
What surprised me most on the Isuzu stand?
That there were no hard hats, work boots and copies of the Sun on the cars dashboards. I felt slightly embarrassed for them that the big launch was a new range topper Rodeo whose main feature (the P.R. guy insisted) was an I.C.E. system with an independently controlled DVD player for passengers. Just the thing for keeping petulant workers quiet on lengthy trips to building sites.
Forget the PR spin. I reckon the real story here is…
Isuzu made a wrong turn and instead of exhibiting at the Olympic Games construction site, ending up at Excel.
There’s nothing new here, a higher spec’d upper model, and the introduction of a single-cab, utilitarian Rodeo pick up. I wonder if Isuzu will experience a heightened drop in sales due to its dependence on the construction industry for customers.
Reader verdict
They really did stand out for a lacklustre product range and presentation. Whilst everyone else was jumping up and down about their green credentials, there’s little you can do about that with a range dependant on utility vehicles. The video playing on repeat on their stand, was describing the construction of the stand, nothing related to their cars, which said it all really.
Click here to go to CAR’s London motor show A-Z homepage