The Isuzu Hombre sports an all-new interior this year with redesigned seats, instrument panel,
trim and console. The new instrument panel houses a speedometer, trip odometer, and fuel level, oil
pressure, voltage and coolant temperature gauges. A tachometer is standard on four-wheel-drive models
and an option on two-wheel-drive XS models.
Interior appointments in the Hombre are about mid-level, but still offer sufficient creature
comforts. The cloth upholstery is nice and the sun visors have extensions to provide extra shielding
against the sun. Two additional 12-volt power outlets are provided to run cellular telephones, radar
detectors and other accessories.
Legroom and headroom for the driver and right-side passenger are good, except the passenger's foot
well has a hump that accommodates the catalytic converter. Still, front-seat room is generally roomy
and comfortable for all but the largest people.
In the back of the Spacecab is a fairly flat floor with only a slight center hump, so stowing
toolboxes or luggage should be easy. In the rear wall of the cab there's a handy compartment that
houses the jack and tools. Like the compact pickups from Chevy, GMC, Ford and Mazda, the side-facing,
fold-down rear jump seats are uncomfortable and awkward for adults and children. We prefer a simple,
forward-facing rear bench in extended cab pickups, even if they're small because even if not used for
people they make handy spots for briefcases and other items.
The Isuzu Hombre feels more like a truck than a car with a big box in back. It rides and drives like
a truck, and it certainly won't confuse anyone in a blindfold test that it's a luxury sedan. The ride
motions are truck-like, particularly when unloaded. We didn't load it up, but we'd suspect the ride
might not get enormously better unless its cargo box was carrying some fairly serious weight. For all
that, the Spacecab we drove had a wheelbase of 122.9 in. The regular cab version is on a shorter 108.3-in.
wheelbase, so the longer Spacecab probably has a better ride quality than its shorter sibling.
Not to say this is bad, mind you, because even the most truck-like of today's pickups would put many
a car of a couple of decades ago to shame. But, by today's definitions, the Hombre is a tool for hauling
things and getting the job done, not impressing the parking valet at the snooty restaurant.
Handling, as it applies in a truck sense, is predictable and without surprises. Steering feel is about average, and the Hombre goes where it's pointed. Driving it on the city streets or open highway is an easy no-brainer, but it's unlikely to be one of those vehicles in which you purposely search out the long way home just because the winding roads that way are more fun.
We give the Hombre a big gold star for the 4.3-liter V6 engine. It makes good power and the torque band is very useable, so there's plenty of punch to get you going. Acceleration is peppy and brisk, and it feels as if it wouldn't really have much trouble dealing with a loaded cargo box or one of those 5000-pound trailers. Or maybe even both at once.