Odd and Interesting Vehicles: 1999 Isuzu VehiCROSS

In the late 1990s, automakers were looking to find any niche possible in the SUV market, and Isuzu leaped into the "sporty SUV" game with the 1997 VehiCROSS

In the late 1990s, automakers were looking to find any niche possible in the SUV market. Isuzu leaped into the "sporty SUV" game with the 1997 VehiCROSS, which was a two-door SUV with styling that set it apart from everything else available at the time. It came to the U.S. in 1999.

At the time, Motor Trend stated: "Now, it's the Isuzu VehiCROSS that’ll be turning heads faster than a no-holds-barred scrimmage on the Jerry Springer show.”

The VehiCROSS was based on the two-door version of the Isuzu Trooper, which was a pretty competent off-roader. It featured Isuzu's advanced torque-on-demand technology, which is not unlike the systems used in most of today's all-wheel-drive vehicles.

Isuzu showed off additional versions of the SUV, including a four-door and a convertible, which never made it to the market before the brand’s demise in the U.S.