Skoda Slavia vs Isuzu D-Max V-Cross [2016-2018]

I love the monsoons. The bright green of new grass, the lovely cool breeze, and since it's not hot or sultry, there is no awful odour come end of day to really turn the missus off.So, to celebrate this gorgeous season we rounded up a bunch of capable SUVs at a challenging off-road location, which is 19 Degree North at Aamby Valley, with the idea of spending a day having fun and also finding out how these burly machines cope with Mother Nature.

There is something really incredible about a massive pickup truck that has been carefully forced up an incline to pose for the camera. It’s like looking at King Kong atop the Empire State Building surveying New York City for a potential reign of carnage. Crazy as it sounds, these were the exact thoughts running through my head as I switched on my phone camera to capture ‘Kong’ posing for me.

India, as a market, has not warmed up to the idea of pick-up trucks for personal use. Despite Tata and Mahindra having a go at the segment with the Xenon XT and the Scorpio Getaway, they were unable to fully capitalise on the opportunity. Much of the apprehension among buyers is the fact that farmers use pick-ups to transport goods, and mimicking a farmer’s lifestyle isn’t exactly the ‘in’ thing. The Isuzu V-Cross though has tremendous road presence, and as we found out in the real world, it draws appreciate glances from the young, the affluent as well as the fairer sex.