What's New for 1999

Two body styles are available, hardtop or soft top, and an automatic transmission is now offered with the V6 engine.

Review

1999 marks Amigo's second year back on the market after a three-year hiatus. Isuzu's small SUV convertible was reintroduced last year with a completely new facade and has done quite well.

Choices are plentiful when ordering an Amigo; consumers can choose between hardtop or softtop, two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, four-cylinder or V6, and manual or automatic transmission.

Powering the base Amigo is a 2.2-liter, DOHC four-cylinder engine, which pumps out 130 horsepower and 144 foot-pounds of torque. The more powerful 3.2-liter V6 engine is the same one found under the hood of the Rodeo, and it makes 205 horsepower and 214 foot-pounds of torque. With the purchase of a V6 model, consumers can also opt for a four-speed automatic tranny.

Interestingly, four-wheel ABS and a manual moonroof come standard on the Amigo, but air conditioning and power door locks do not. All Amigos are available with a long list of options, however, including air conditioning, skid plates and big alloy wheels. A limited-slip differential can be had on four-wheel drive models and, for 1999, a hard-face spare tire cover is an option for trucks equipped with P245 tires and alloy wheels.

Although we have not yet sampled one of Isuzu's drop-top trucks, the Amigo seems to be holding its own against competitors such as the Chevrolet Tracker, Kia Sportage and Suzuki Vitara. Besides, we're suckers for the Jeep Wrangler convertible, and the Amigo looks like it was developed using the same recipe book.