It’s Hooniverse Truck Thursday, and if anyone hasn’t listened to the Hooniverse Podcast, do so. It was one of our best, and the conversation centered on what vehicles we would bring back from the dead. I zeroed in on Isuzu, specifically the first generation Impulse (Piazza in other markets), but the conversation also centered around the Axiom and Vehicross Utility Vehicles. So without further interruptions, here is the short lived Isuzu Axiom and Vehicross.


The Isuzu Axiom was reported as being designed in Japan using a “knife blade” theme for its car-like styling. Many pundits likened the design to a Gillette Twin Blade razor, but at least it was distinctive. The Axiom’s radical styling may have been judged too extreme, but a surprising number of its design elements later found their way onto SUVs from other manufacturers.

This truck was built at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. plant on the Rodeo platform. This was a joint replacement for the capable, but aging Trooper, along with the Trailblazer clone called the Ascender. It was offered with two different trim levels, the base and the upmarket XS, which featured a sunroof, heated front seats, two-tone leather interior, and projector like fog lamps.

One of the most interesting items in the creation of this North American truck was the naming of the vehicle. The name “Axiom” was determined by a naming contest held by Isuzu, and was won by Dr. Hakan Urey from Redmond, Washington, who suggested the name and won his own Axiom (but was given an Isuzu Rodeo until the Axiom became available). Another aspect of this vehicle was the range of vehicles Isuzu was showcasing on the show circuit. One was the Isuzu Axiom XSR Concept, that debuted in 2002. This truck concept utilized the Amigo chassis, and would have been easy to bring to market.

The other concept was called the Axiom XST, only this time it was a four-door version that ushered in other lifestyle vehicles like the Chevrolet Avalanche, the Ford Exporter Sport Trac, and later the Honda Ridgeline. This was an attractive truck, but it was never brought to market. GM was pushing their Envoy clone to help boost the output of the Oklohoma City GMT 370 production (Envoy XL, Trailblazer EXT, Isuzu Ascender).

The Axiom was available with a torque on demand four-wheel drive system, and a direct-injection 6VE1 V6 engine was added in 2004, boosting power from 230 to 250 hp. However, under the Axiom’s cutting-edge body was the largely unchanged Rodeo chassis, which was judged to be crude by critics. The stylish body was also available only as a luxury entry, and given that Isuzu was never perceived as a “Luxury” model, this limited the sales potential. The Axiom was discontinued in July 2004 and the Lafayette plant was retooled to build the Subaru B9 Tribeca. With the retirement of the Rodeo and Axiom, Isuzu no longer offered any Japanese-built consumer vehicles in the United States. The Axiom was never sold in Canada.

Before the Axiom was ever developed, Isuzu created quite a stir with the introduction of the Vehicross. The Vehicross was originally unveiled as a concept vehicle at the 1993 Tokyo International Auto Show. Its production version that was released in 1997 was notable because it arrived with very few design changes and in a very short time. This feat was accomplished through the use of inexpensive ceramic body-stamping dies and the reuse of readily-available Isuzu parts. The truck was intended to showcase Isuzu’s off-road technology, and is one of the few vehicles to ship with monotube shocks with external heat-expansion chambers, a technology normally reserved for off-road motorcycle racing.

Produced from 1997 to 2001 (US introduction was in model year 1999) the Vehicross used a lot of componentry from the Isuzu Trooper, including the 3.5L V-6 engine that produced 230 HP. The vehicle also features the BorgWarner developed Torque on Demand 4-wheel-drive system that was one of the most advanced systems at the time. This system has 12 independent sensors for detecting wheel spin and is capable of redirecting power to the wheels with the most traction. This gave the Vehicross a high level of traction on wet and icy roads, while its body-on-frame construction, truck-based suspension and adaptable gearing make it very capable off-road. Sales were intentionally limited, with only 5,958 vehicles being produced. Of that total, 4,153 were sold within the US.

So are either of these two Isuzu Sport Utility Vehicles worth remembering? See if you agree with the panelists about either the Vehicross, or the Axiom, and let us know what you think.