Isuzu X-rider could be your ideal journey car

The pick-up truck market is one of the most competitive in Uganda with companies releasing a car almost every year. Isuzu being one of those companies, they have released the Isuzu X-rider and pick-up truck lovers might find it interesting.
According to Micheal Lubwama who has heard a chance to drive a few Isuzus of various configurations such as the single, extended and double cab, petrol and diesel, manual and automatic transmissions and two and four wheel drive, even with a big lineup of about 20 models, the KB 250D-TEQ Double Cab X-Rider 4×2 is his favourite.
He says it has two and four wheel drive which could be ideal for an out of town trip, especially in areas that have bad roads. He adds that the ride quality is also good but you can expect a firmer ride over gravel roads that are in less than good condition, making this car okay for most Ugandan roads.

What makes it different?
According to Douglas Kawalya, the head of tenders and sales at Mac East Africa, the X-rider has black finished components such as, grille, bumper guard with integral fog lights and standard projector headlights that make driving at night memorable because they will obviously give the driver a clear view. Tubular side steps and a sports bar, replacing the usual chrome, goes a long way in making this a very different double cabin.
If added with 18 inch diamond-cut alloy wheels carrying good tyres and embellish the vehicle with X-Rider nomenclature it transforms into a good looking car.

Interior
Inside the car, the theme continues with X-Rider branding on the front seat headrests and door panels which makes it very beautiful. It also has black leather seats carrying red stitching, the steering wheel and gear shift knob are covered with black leather. The dash board is pretty much standard, with touches of black colour enhancing the durable hard plastic surfaces. It also has manual air conditioning, keyless entry, electric windows and steering wheel satellite controls for the radio making it a classy car of its size.
The X-rider cabin is very occupant friendly with comfortable front and rear seats and also reasonably supportive, it has got unbelievably good rear leg room and for those who like to take everything but the kitchen sink with them, there is plenty of storage space and holders for your bottles which makes that upcountry trip a complete one. The driver’s seat is height adjustable making it fit for almost everybody but steering wheel adjustment is limited to tilt only, which might not favour fat people.

Safety
The safety of the occupants was well catered for in the x-rider that it can be used to travel upcountry. It has got ABS and great traction control, it also has a hill start assist that helps it create more energy to go up hills and airbags for driver and front seat passenger.

Engine and fuel consumption.
The X Rider has the proven 2.5 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine under the bonnet which provides more than enough grunt to cover every aspect of your motoring.
It has a 5-speed manual gearbox power which helps it reach the road through the rear wheels.
Fuel consumption is claimed at 7.7l/100km but you can expect to be above that on a normal driving cycle. Which makes it a little on the high end relating to the escalating fuel prices in Uganda.
However, the 2.5 litre diesel delivers excellent bottom end power with torque spread allowing an easy drive, initially it sounds a little agricultural but that decreases when cruising in fifth gear.

Downside
The 2.5litre might not be that friendly. Being mostly imported and new cars the X-rider is costly. It also has a hard gearshift which makes the driver uncomfortable and has only to learn to live with it.