The Isuzu Axiom car, which officially debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 2001, was created jointly by designers from Subaru and Isuzu to fully replace the Rodeo, an obsolete morale. The machine inherited the chassis of its predecessor, which was conservative, which was done to reduce its cost. The body received a completely new design and was very popular at that time with a chopped-faceted style. He had a lowered height in terms of the frame, as well as a high waist line. The modern front bumper in combination with narrow stylish headlights definitely added newness to the design of the model.
Despite this, external extravagance, along with conservatism in operational characteristics, did not allow Isuzu Axiom to become very popular - feedback from motorists testified to a positive impression of the unit only among young people. The machine, in fact, was perceived solely as a kind of addition to the Rodeo model, which could not result in solid sales volumes. In this regard, the release of Isuzu Aksiom was constantly declining. In particular, during 2002 seven thousand copies of the car rolled off the assembly line, and in 2003 - already five thousand.
Now let's talk directly about the model itself. Since the chassis was not affected by the engineers, the manufacturer needed to interest potential buyers with something else. In this regard, under the hood of Isuzu Axiom, designers placed a modern gasoline engine, which was a 3.5-liter “six”, which was capable of developing 250 horsepower. The engine was paired with only one type of gearbox - a four-speed automatic with overdrive function.
It should be noted that the 2WD modification had rear-wheel drive, and 4WD - full. In the last of them, depending on how the wheels slip, due to the electronics, a distribution was made between the axes of torque, starting from 0x100 and ending with 50x50. Due to the presence of a reduction gear in the box, the patency of the Isuzu Axiom also improved.
As for the interior, there was a clear resemblance to the Rodeo model, even taking into account the fact that the car received a completely different central panel. The boot volume was 996 liters and could be increased to 2417 liters due to folding the rear seats. The basic equipment of the car, which received the "S" index, included full power accessories, including heating of all seats, climate control and cruise control, as well as a CD player. The cost of such a car was about 24 thousand dollars.
To summarize, among the advantages of a car, one can distinguish a direct-injection powerplant, a rich basic configuration, as well as a system for providing
all-wheel drive. As for the minuses, here is not the best suspension, not a very large amount of space for the rear passengers, as well as difficulties associated with the lack of components caused by the limited release of cars. Outside North America, Isuzu Axiom is almost unknown to anyone, so it is very problematic to meet such a car in Russia. Despite this, several copies imported by private individuals can still be found.