Equipment
3.5-liter V6, automatic, limited-slip rear differential, anti-chip polypropylene body cladding, Recaro front bucket seats, carbon fiber style side trim, and automatic climate control.
Condition
Represented as the last production VehiCROSS built and with 132,900 miles. Given one-off Polar Pearl White paint.
Market commentary
<p>This is a new record for the model, despite the mileage. Despite its impressive offerings, the VehiCROSS was not a big seller. Many sat on showroom floors, as the $30k MSRP (more than $52k in 2023 money) was too much for many potential buyers. However, that might not carry the same sticker shock as it would now, since $50k 4Runners has become the norm.</p> <p>To be fair, Isuzu never intended to sell many VehiCROSSes, but instead designed it as a “halo” car to demonstrate the brand’s advanced technology. To help speed up development, Isuzu used ceramic tooling dies instead of steel to stamp the oddly-shaped body panels. This reduced cost and production time at the expense of tooling longevity. The ceramic dies eventually wore out after a total of 5,958 VehiCROSSes were produced between 1999 and 2001 (4,153 were sent to the US and 1,805 remained in Japan). This “Sale of the Week” literally broke the mold, as it is the very last one to roll off the assembly line—a letter from Isuzu confirms it.</p> <p>Perhaps this quirky truck will get its day in the sun, but for now it's just a great offroader at a discount with a strong cult following. Sounds a little like the FJ Cruiser five years ago.</p>