Isuzu Pickup Is One Plain Hombre -- No-Frills, No-Nonsense Compact Truck Aimed At Budget-Conscious

1996 Isuzu Hombre XS

Base price: $10,999 for base S model, $12,063 for XS. As tested: $13,353. Mileage: 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway. Options: Air conditioning $835; stereo cassette player $145; sliding rear window $125.

Someone in the Far East must be inspired by the American West.

First, Japanese automaker Isuzu named a sport-utility vehicle the Rodeo. Now comes an Isuzu pickup truck called the Hombre.

"Hombre is generic in Western movies" for one tough guy, so the Isuzu Hombre is "one tough truck that will do the job," spokesman Bryan Farnsworth said.

New this year, the 1996 Hombre is unusual among pickups because it has few options. It comes only in rear-wheel drive, has no extended-cab model and is fitted with one bed size and style. There's only one engine - a four cylinder - and no automatic transmission. You can't even get power windows or power door locks.

Why? The compact Isuzu Hombre is no nonsense, no frills. Prices start at $10,999 for the base S model, putting the pickup in the same range as the Ford Ranger 4X2 and the Chevrolet S-10. The Ford Ranger 4X2 regular-cab, short-wheelbase, XL model starts at $10,575, and a base Chevrolet S-10 starts at $11,270.

"Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a $20,000 truck . . . that's the real world," Farnsworth said, explaining that the Hombre is targeted at budget-conscious men looking for something in the $11,000 to $13,000 range.

What they get in the Hombre is basically a rebadged Chevrolet S-10 pickup. In an arrangement with Chevy's parent, General Motors Corp., Isuzu's Hombre comes off the same Shreveport, La., assembly line as the S-10.

Look under the Hombre hood and you'll see all kinds of GM labels - the battery is from GM's Delco subsidiary, for example, and the air conditioner is from GM's Harrison unit.

Inside, the dashboard looks like the one in the S-10.

Isuzu added its own touches, redesigning the sheet metal from the windshield forward for a look that's devoid of the shiny silver grille of the Chevy. And the round, wraparound headlight arrangement is a modern statement. Wheel covers are different from those on the S-10, too.

Best of all, the Isuzu warranty is a bit better than Chevy's, providing limited basic coverage for three years or 50,000 miles.

The test Hombre showed off its capable transportation attributes. The 2.2-liter, fuel-injected, in-line four noisily works itself up to highway speeds. Acceleration isn't the greatest, though I did manage to squeal the rear tires a couple times on dry pavement with some demanding, high-rev startups.

Both the Chevy S-10 and Ford Ranger offer optional V-6s with more power than the Hombre's 118 horses. But the Hombre's fuel economy at 23 miles a gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway is a plus.

The Hombre ride is quite stiff and readily passes on to passengers the road imperfections. The Hombre's short wheelbase also conveys some bounce. Steering and handling are acceptable.

It's noteworthy that four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard on both S and XS Hombre models. Anti-lock brakes are a $610 option on the Ford Ranger.

But the Hombre, like the S-10, has only a driver's-side air bag. The Ranger offers an optional passenger-side air bag for $400.

The Hombre's bench seat is supportive, and although three big adults would be a squeeze, the cabin feels surprisingly roomy with two. Gauges are clearly laid out, and knobs and buttons for ventilation and radio are within easy reach.

Getting in and out is not a chore, since the two-wheel-drive Hombre doesn't tower above the road.

I appreciated the tie-down hooks already built into the pickup bed. The tailgate is lightweight and easy to lower and raise, and the Hombre's towing capacity is 2,000 pounds. Maximum payload is 1,200 pounds.

Isuzu is allocated 25,000 Hombres from the production schedule at GM's Shreveport assembly plant this year.

Auto buffs may recall that more than 20 years ago it was Isuzu that built the popular little LUV pickup for Chevrolet.

The 1996 Hombres began arriving at Isuzu dealerships in February, and sales so far total more than 1,080, Farnsworth said.

The Hombre replaces Isuzu's previous compact pickup, the TF Series.

Because the Hombre is a new vehicle, Consumer Reports does not list owner trouble complaints.