Isuzu Motors India today launched the D-Max V-Cross adventure pick-up at a price of Rs. 12.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Chennai), with deliveries set to commence from July 2016.

The V-Cross is based on the new D-Max Crew Cab pickup truck, which shares its underpinnings with the Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV, also on sale in India. It will roll out of Isuzu’s first ever manufacturing facility in the India, located at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, which was recently inaugurated.

The D-Max’s interiors bear semblance with that of the Chevrolet Trailblazer. While identical bits include the dashboard, the V-Cross misses out on the instrument cluster and Chevrolet’s MyLink infotainment system present in the Trailblazer. However, it gets a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and tilt adjustable steering wheel with audio controls. The new interior makes the Isuzu D-Max look more upmarket than the company's even more premium MU-7 SUV.

In terms of safety, the V-Cross comes with ABS, EBD, brake assist and dual front airbags as standard. Also, Isuzu is offering a host of accessories to customise the vehicle.

The four-door D-Max is powered only by a 2.5-litre diesel motor making 136hp and 320Nm of torque, paired with a five-speed manual gearbox and gets shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive.

With the introduction of the D-Max V-Cross, which is being dubbed as an ‘adventure utility vehicle’, the Japanese carmaker aims to create a niche segment catering to the lifestyle buyers and adventure junkies. The deck can accommodate large equipment and thanks to a four-wheel drive, the vehicle is expected to fulfill off roading duties as well. Although it will mostly go up against SUVs, the V-Cross may see competition from the Tata Xenon XT, which is priced at Rs 10.99 lakh, ex showroom, Delhi, for the four-wheel drive variant, as well.