Roughing it up with the Isuzu Crosswind

MANILA, Philippines -  When wise men said that we should always be prepared for a rainy day, I don’t think they were only referring to food, money and shelter. Why, these are different times now... and we happen to live in a third-world country in the 21st century! Yes, a time and place where the coming rains are not always seen as a complete blessing – but rather, a potential bearer of floods, heavy traffic and supreme creator of potholes galore. Indeed, this is a time when “being prepared for a rainy day” also means having a hardy vehicle that can brave our challenging rainy season, to keep business running as usual and keep its driver confident on the road. Thank God the country has tried-and-tested practical vehicles such as the Isuzu Crosswind!

No, you are not mistaken to think that the Crosswind is nothing new on our roads... it has, in fact, already been around for quite some time now. Since its first release way back in 2001, practically a decade ago – 60,000 Crosswind units have already ran on Philippine roads! Perhaps testament to the proverb that “You shouldn’t fix something that isn’t broken”, the new 2011 Isuzu Crosswind maintains its efficient 2.5-Liter 4JA1 direct-injection turbo-diesel engine, which is Euro-2 compliant. Meanwhile, new features of this year’s model are: new headlights with clear lenses and black outline; a new black-finish radiator grille base; a new black, center console; clear-lens turn signals (XTi); and new audio head units.

For the XUV and Sportivo variants, their new features also include: a new one-piece sports bumper at the rear, with built-in reflectors; a new-design rear-quarter molding; a new oval-shaped tailpipe finisher; black-finish sidestep boards; a new black upper and front console; new black rear console box; and beige-and-black seat material for the driver and front passenger.

The well-known durability and reliability of the Isuzu Crosswind was demonstrated to us in a very interesting way, by chance, last July 25-27. It was then that Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) decided to bring a group of selected media on a trip to Camarines Sur, aboard six Isuzu Crosswinds, to showcase the vehicles’ all-weather capabilities and renowned fuel economy. This was part of the company’s ways of celebrating their 14th inaugural anniversary in the country, and the event had been carefully planned weeks in advance. However, as you may remember, this was also the time typhoon Juaning hit the Philippines.

It was too late when we had realized that we were traveling south, right around the time typhoon Juaning was making landfall. We were perhaps already halfway into our 10-hour journey, when the news had been confirmed that a strong typhoon was indeed coming our way. It was not the most appealing of circumstances – having to go through quite a number of pretty bad road conditions in the heavy rains of the quickly approaching typhoon – but one thing I can say for sure – we got to our destination, the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex, safely and without any troubles whatsoever. I kid you not.

And although the Camsur Watersports Complex was closed due to bad weather conditions when we got there, the purpose of our drive was certainly not defeated. We had a first-hand experience of one of the real-life and practical applications of the Isuzu Crosswind! Bad roads and nasty weather were not enough to stop us from getting to where we had to go. And with considerable vehicle clearance from the ground, we were not intimidated by the brewing floods. True to its tagline, the Isuzu Crosswind allowed us to “Drive with Confidence”.

IPC President Ryoji Yamazaki says, “Isuzu Philippines Corporation has always been a strong advocate of domestic tourism. The company has made it a tradition to bring the motoring press to different destinations around the country using powerful, reliable, fuel-efficient and comfortable Isuzu vehicles, and I am glad to be part of this tradition.”

To further celebrate its 14th inaugural anniversary, IPC has also launched three promotional offerings. First is its “Isang Pasasalamat Mula Sa Isuzu” a promo which offers outright discounts to buyers of Isuzu passenger vehicles. Here, customers can avail of discounts of up to P65,000 for the Alterra, P30,000 for the D-MAX and P35,000 for the Crosswind.

Second, is its loyalty reward program which allows long-time Isuzu customers to get a P10,000 cash reward when they purchase a new Isuzu vehicle, or refer a buyer. And lastly, is its “Crosswind Sportivo Choose Your Own Treat” promo, which gives Crosswind buyers a chance to win either a P100,000 vacation package or a P100,000 entertainment package. These promos are all extended until August 2011.