The Isuzu VehiCross deserves more love. Despite its quirky styling, it’s a really cool off-roader with hardware that would still be considered impressive on a modern SUV. Its sales were a flop at the time, but that means it remains rare and perfect for anyone who dares to be different. And as this build shows, there’s plenty of room for modification.
currently listed bring a trailerThis 1999 model is as good as a Vehicross build. Instead of the factory-installed 3.2-liter or 3.5-liter V6, it has a 4.0-liter V8 under the hood. The engine is the 1UZ-FE, which was originally used in the first generation Lexus LS and GS, as well as various JDM Toyota models. The seller claims that this is a JDM-spec engine, which means it does not have variable valve timing or exhaust gas recirculation. It also has an aftermarket intake manifold and ECU, among other modifications. Output is not listed, but the 1UZ made 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in the original USDM Lexus LS 400.
The Lexus V8 is mated to a five-speed manual transmission from a Hummer H3 and an NR6 two-speed transfer case with a Behemoth Drivetrain manual-shift conversion kit. The differentials are still Isuzu items, but equipped with air lockers and 4.77:1 gearing.
The Vehicross was built with dual-reservoir shock absorbers – quite unheard of as a factory option for a four-wheeler during the 1990s. According to the seller, those KYB units were rebuilt to soften the ride. They handle the motion of 35-inch General Grabber X3 tires mounted on 15-inch wheels. Other off-road kit includes custom skid plates, an LED light bar, roof basket, rear bumper guard, reinforced front bumper (both with recovery points), rocker guards, and a winch. The sheetmetal is painted non-factory blue, while the plastic cladding is covered with Line-X spray-on bed liner.
Currently based in Colorado (but with a South Dakota title), this could be a relatively affordable turn-key off-roader. Bidding was well below $10,000 at the time of publication, and the last V8-swapped Vehicross that came our way (without a doubt) had an asking price of $7,499. Admittedly, there isn’t much else on the market for what is essentially a quirky option.
The Vehicross combined 1990s styling (in part designed by Shiro Nakamura of Nissan GT-R R35 fame) with then-sophisticated technology such as dual-reservoir shocks and a computer-controlled four-wheel drive system. Isuzu intended to make it a rallying homologation special, completely on the brand of a company that was also selling Lotus-tuned compacts and attempting to build an F1 engine. How can you not love an automaker that was doing it while also selling traditional body-on-frame SUVs like the Trooper and Rodeo?
But by the time the VehiCross arrived in America in 1999, Isuzu’s body-on-frame SUV lineup was looking a little dated with the first crossover, and it wasn’t the winner Isuzu needed. The nearly $30,000 high price (and yes, probably the styling) ruined it. Less than 5,000 cars were sold before the Vehicross was removed from showrooms in 2002. Isuzu continued in the US for a few more years, but not long enough to see a resurgence of interest in body-on-frame vehicles that could keep up.