WE HAVE PREJUDICES. That’s a fact of life. We’re not cold-hearted machines out to dominate the world. Call it “preferences” if you want, but we do have an innate fondness towards a particular trait, whether it’s race, creed, sexual orientation or religion. And although we consider all the facts before racing to a conclusion, prejudices can cloud our judgment. Though mine has little to do with those mentioned above, I do have to confess that I did have a beef against Isuzu’s new SUV.
Even before the pearlescent white Alterra arrived at our household, I was already boxing this SUV in as a ho-hum effort in a sea of mediocre “lifestyle” vehicles. Luckily though, that small version of me—the one with the halo and wings, halted me from clicking the “Save” button. You see, this SUV isn’t impressive at first, or even second glance. However, if you give it a chance (i.e. you actually drive or own one), it shines.
If you base everything on looks alone, then things don’t bode too well with the Alterra. Instead of coming up with a stylish, industry-buckling people mover, the Alterra’s design and execution are far too simplistic. It looks too much like a D-Max with a Camper Shell slapped on—certainly a far cry from the sleek Toyota Fortuner. In addition, I was at odds at the sweeping rear quarter window, which provided too big a contrast to the otherwise boxy shape. Whereas the Ford Everest is functionally squared off throughout, the Alterra looks like a mixed bag of automotive design elements.
Likewise could be said with the Alterra’s interior. Since I was all too familiar with the D-Max, I could point out that most of the stuff that goes in here, and we’re not talking about the minor things here, come from the pick-up. The steering wheel, center cluster, door handles, switchgear—and that’s just for starters. That said, at least you can expect solid build quality and acceptable plastics. I found the ergonomics and comfort to be superb even if I’m clamoring for height and lumbar adjustment for myself. The two other rows though drew mixed reactions. Though immensely spacious, the second row is comfortable only for two, since the “pass through” middle seat is cushioned much like an ironing board. The last row may have ample space, but it does lack any form of head restraint.
But while little Tom and Tina would complain from the lack of headrests at the back, anyone, me included, will enjoy the Alterra’s sound system. As to be expected from the purveyors of the VCD-laced Sportivo and Trooper, the Alterra comes with the industry’s first 5.1 surround system complete with DTS decoding capability and 11 speakers (including a detachable subwoofer)! Hooked to a Clarion DVD head unit and twin 7-inch LCD screens, complaints of “are we there yet” will become a thing of the past. Now, while the rest of the family enjoyed “Lord of the Rings” on the go, I enjoyed something else with the Alterra.
Though the Alterra’s marketing campaign wants you to “alter your perception”, what makes the Isuzu a real kicker isn’t in what I saw, or heard or smelled. In fact, it’s in what I didn’t hear and didn’t feel. Diesel engines, particularly Japanese ones, have this nasty reputation of being powerful but short on refinement. Well, not so with this one. Twist the ignition and after a short shudder, it turns calm and quiet. Rev the engine and it doesn’t buckle. It’s smooth, and except for a bit of clatter, can be mistaken for a petrol engine. Impressive is the engine on idle, it simply sparks when on the move.
I slid the shifter into first and the Alterra took off with gusto. Though the power and torque figures aren’t impressive on paper (145 horsepower, 30.0 kg-m), the engine and transmission works in perfect unison. Up- or downshifts are no problem as the manual has a good linkage and well-defined (albeit long) shift throws. The Alterra is quick to reach 100 km/h and the needle will simply keep on climbing and climbing and climbing. I’m quite amazed at how this engine made short work of the almost two-ton mass.
The revised Double Wishbone / Semi-Elliptic Leaf Spring suspension set-up (shared with the D-Max), made the Alterra stable and not as handful to drive even on high speeds. There’s still some degree of bounciness, but I found it compliant riding through the usual bumps and ruts of Manila roads. My two-year old niece, for instance, found the ride comfortable enough to fall asleep—more than once! The steering is pretty vague as to be expected, but the Alterra is easier to maneuver than most.
After spending around three or so days behind the wheel, I’m back here again in front of my word processor, thinking about how I could summarize the Isuzu Alterra. Two words: not bad. Initially, I thought the Toyota Fortuner would simply blow the Alterra’s doors off. Though I have yet to drive the Fortuner, I could botch for the Isuzu’s performance and interior space, which, on both accounts, is better than I expected. At the same time, the accommodations aren’t really as mundane as I thought as everyone except the guy sitting on the middle of the second row will definitely find the Alterra one comfortable SUV.
So why’s everyone falling head-over-heels with the Toyota? Simple answer: price. I’ve been half expecting the Alterra to match, if not undercut, the Fortuner; but the Isuzu starts at a wallet-clogging P 1,389,000 for the base manual transmission with the modest 2-channel stereo system. The one I tested, the Omega White Pearl, two-tone with 5.1 surround sound will set you back a whopping P 1,434,000. And there’s the bottom line. Though I would have wanted to give the Isuzu Alterra a hearty thumbs up for being such a commendable product, I can’t. With such a pricing scheme, I too tend to leave the Alterra a bit lukewarm. This is one gem of an SUV, but shame about the price.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Jason K. Ang
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