IF you look at the Isuzu Sportivo, one might see that it hasn’t changed much. But what people don’t know about it is that the unit has undergone upgrades that are suited more for executive cars or premium brand sedans than multipurpose vehicles.

Outside, the Sportivo retains the basic outline of its 2008 immediate predecessor, but with subtle changes that give it less “bling” and more of a utilitarian approach. The turn signals on the side mirror housings and in the headlamps have a more pronounced amber color, the grille now has a honeycomb backing (instead of multiple horizontal chrome slats), there’s a silver lower middle underguard, and the taillights now carry more red color.

Inside is where the biggest changes reside, and where the Sportivo gets spec’d up for the better. The JVC head unit residing in the middle dashboard now has a wider touchscreen and bigger fonts/icons so that any of the front occupants can easily see what’s going on with the DVD/MP3-ready in-car entertainment (ICE). Speaking of the ICE, the sound is much improved, although it could use an amplifier, additional tweeters (mounted on the dashboard) and a subwoofer for better midrange and treble output. The steering wheel-mounted ICE controls are a great help for the driver, as they help keep his or her eyes on the road instead of the head unit. The monitors within the front occupant headrests were retained, along with line in/line out jacks (at the base of the center console) for the aforementioned monitors. There’s courtesy lights (usually the park lights and the foglights) that turn on whenever you unlock the doors at night using the key fob. The head unit is linked to a reverse gear-activated camera. Mounted near the spare tire cover, the camera shows what’s going on at the rear of the unit, a big help when it comes to parallel parking and long backing moves. 

Storage is a like-it-or-you-don’t matter. For front occupants, there’s a cavity above the glovebox, and the cupholders between the front seats aren’t exactly useful—they can barely hold even a regular-sized McDonald’s soft drink cup. The only decent cupholders are located within the second-row backrest divider, but the center console can fit a Canon EOS 400D, a Canon EF 10-22 lens and a Canon EF 60 mm lens. The second- and third-row seats fold/tumble forward, and when both are folded the unit swallows a DHL Jumbo box and five large travel bags. Also, making the second- and third-row seats fold/tumble forward are two levers on each flank (facing the doors), but they’re in the same tan colorway as the leather seatcovers.                

The Sportivo’s performance could use some beefing up as well. You must use second gear (or even first gear) for acceleration on all sorts of tarmac, as the powerband is narrow. The 157-kph top speed and 19.78-second zero to 100 kph acceleration are evidence of that. However, the one-week mixed driving 7.45 km/l fuel consumption is a big improvement over the 7.09 km/l (same time span and mixed driving conditions) attained by this writer in a 2008 Isuzu Sportivo M/T. And you need little effort from your left foot and right hand to engage the clutch and row through the H-pattern.  

The lateral performance and road comfort could use some improvement as there’s lots of lean during cornering, the steering feedback isn’t sharp, and there’s a lot of rebound when the unit goes through any tarmac blemish. At least the brakes bite when you need them, the engine braking is strong, the side mirrors afford up to two lanes of sight on both flanks and both headlights and foglights are bright enough to make you see a good six to seven feet in front of you.       

The Sportivo’s forward and lateral motion dynamics and some of the storage aspects may remain unchanged (as of this writing), but this multipurpose vehicle’s mission is to bring people and things to their intended destination, period. Given its interior changes, the Sportivo’s purpose is greatly aided.

Thumbs up

* Relatively even gearing

* Light clutch, steering feel

* Bright exterior, interior lighting

* Towering view of traffic

* Wide side mirrors

* Spare tire location

* Parking camera

* Backup sensors

* Power-assisted side mirror folding

* Side step boards

* Cold air conditioning

* Upgraded in-car entertainment   

* Courtesy lights

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* Narrow powerband

* Little steering feedback

* Body roll on turns

* Narrow door storage

* Only two cupholders

* Third-row kneeroom

* Hard-to-find rear row tumbling latches 

* Price

Specifications

* Vehicle 2010 Isuzu Sportivo M/T

* Type Multipurpose vehicle

* Engine type 4JA1-NA 2.5L 16-valve SOHC inline four-cylinder diesel, with common rail direct injection, turbocharger and intercooler   

* Maximum power 85 hp at 3,900 rpm

* Maximum torque 189 Nm at 2,000 rpm

* Transmission Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Dimensions

* Length 4,805 mm

* Width 1,770 mm

* Height 1,890 mm

* Wheelbase 2,680 mm

* Front track 1,480 mm

* Rear track 1,455 mm

* Wheel size 15-inch alloy (with chroming)

* Tires Michelin LTX A/T 235/70R15 103S

* Price as tested P1.210 million

IN PHOTO -- Big anywhere it goes The new Sportivo’s dimensions and tall ride height give it an imposing look, whether it’s still or swiftly moving. EPS