Contenders to the throne

Last year, AUVs ruled the market, taking more than a third of the total new vehicle sales pie, which was quite a huge bite. Not surprisingly, the AUV segment was the only one that posted a positive sales growth.

Satiating the people’s appetite for AUVs most was Toyota’s Revo, which made up the bulk of all AUVs sold. Offered in a staggering 12 variants, Toyota’s chefs made sure there’s a Revo model out there that would suit somebody’s taste. And with the then top-model Revo Sport Runner (presently, it’s the VX200), any AUV gourmet’s palate as well.

Not to be outdone, Mitsubishi whipped up something special and came out with a totally upgraded, LCD-equipped and body kit-clad Adventure Super Sport too.

Isuzu joined the fray also, launching the all-new Crosswind last year. Just several weeks ago, out from Isuzu’s kitchen came the top-model Crosswind XUV variant, a vehicle that tempts AUV folks’ appetite even more and tells them to "Go bigtime."

Recently, we sampled the best offerings from Mitsubishi and Isuzu, both worthy contenders to the gourmet AUV throne.

SUV outside

It was a scene right out of a bad cold war movie.

"Patingin ng rehistro," the Subic sentry hollered at Manila Bulletin’s Aris Ilagan (who wrestled the wheel to the vehicle and briefly took over the driving chores from me) like we were trying to slip out of some Eastern European communist country instead of from a daylong jetski trip at a Subic beach.

We were aboard a spanking new Copper Orange Crosswind XUV, which was still without any license plates. Apparently, the guard thought it was one of those imported "auction house" SUVs, and that we were trying to slip it out of Subic duty-free. Isuzu should be proud. After all, Isuzu did not affix the XUV – for Xtreme Utility Vehicle – tag to the Crosswind label merely on a whim. The truckmaker slapped on every conceivable gadget to transform the Crosswind into one sport-ute lookalike.

With the sundry macho stuff like larger, taller profile 15-inch tires, fender flares, bumper extensions, foglamps and funky two-tone paint jobs, the XUV does appear substantially heftier than its Crosswind siblings. The plastic-covered, rear door-mounted spare tire (made possible by the vehicle’s side-opening door) furthers the sport-ute illusion. The body lift job helps in this department too. In fact, the XUV is now identical in height with its Trooper SUV cousin, but that’s probably because of the XUV’s roof rails.

Inside the vehicle, some form of leather appears on almost everything: on the seats, door panels, handbrake and gearshift levers, and the handsome four-spoke steering wheel. Accented by body color stitching and perforations, the interior has "sporty" written all over it. A good CD audio system is a treat too, as are all the power stuff and automatic transmission. And yes, the interior is quite roomy.

On the road, the XUV has adequate power to get you where you want to go. The direct injection, turbocharged 2.5-liter diesel motor sounds real busy, especially at speed, but you can always drown it with the stereo.

Now combine the large tires, tall ride height, mushy suspension settings, and light, power-assisted steering, and you get a type of handling that’s truly independent. So independent the driver is isolated from the experience, blissfully oblivious on exactly what the vehicle is up to. Which, come to think of it, is a very sport-ute kind of thing anyway. Even the boys at the neighborhood car wash seem to be at a lost just exactly what the XUV is. Failing to agree whether to charge P60 (for AUVs) or P70 (for SUVs), they simply split it and asked for P65. Maybe they should talk to that guard in Subic.

Luxurious inside

Like most AUVs these days – or for that matter, showbiz talents and politicians – the Adventure Super Sport is afflicted with an identity crisis syndrome. Fortunately, the case for vehicles is different from its human counterparts.

For starters, plush is the first thing one would notice the first time behind the wheel of the Super Sport. Not luxury car plush, of course, but a high-end sedan-like plush nonetheless. Definitely not bad for an AUV.

And what is commendable with the Super Sport is that it achieves this not by being fitted with all the leather-this and leather-that stuff, but simply by having subdued velour fabric seats and simple but not cheap-looking plastics, in the process creating a cozy interior.

How it manages to pull it off is a wonder, especially since the faux-woodgrain trim is a tad too shiny, looking like, well, fake wood. Surely, the superb audio system and optional video system with ceiling-mounted LCD monitor has something do with all these, upping the plush factor.

On the outside, the Super Sport appears not to have any sport-ute aspirations nor sedan pretensions. Though various body claddings and snazzy two-tone paint schemes separate it from lesser Adventure variants, it impressively veers away from any in-your-face look. If anything, the ribbed claddings and bright paintworks merely provide accents to the vehicle’s bold, angular lines. Even the complex design of the front bumpers, which goes a bit overboard, managed to blend in the overall look. The 14-inch wheel and tire combo are car-like aggressive, not the tough, off-road, go-anywhere deal.

Which suits the Super Sport just as fine. On the road, the vehicle is actually a joy to drive. The steering is precise and direct, tempting you to take corners at progressively faster speeds. The body leans to some degree, but not enough to scare yourself silly. The manual transmission slots into gears nicely, which is perfect since you need to do some thoughtful shifting to get the most out of the 2.5-liter diesel engine (there’s an optional gas motor). That’s because there’s not much happening at revs below 2500 rpm, the power kicking in only at higher engine revs.

What then is the Super Sport? Less AUV but more wagon than car, the Super Sport is proof that you can eat your pudding and have it too, and the mixed metaphors here only underscore the fact that possessing dual personalities is not necessarily a bad thing.