using a truck like a car for daily transportation. Lost in that is the main reason pickups were designed

in the first place: To haul stuff around. In the old days, pickups were supposed to be reliable and not

cost too much money.

It's this back-to-basics concept that best defines the mission of the Isuzu Hombre. Not the fanciest,

nor the most powerful, nor the most loaded with options, the Hombre offers honest truck hauling at an

easily affordable price.

Isuzu's Hombre was introduced just last year, but that doesn't mean it requires more time to work

the bugs out. The Hombre is built by General Motors, in Shreveport, La., and is a mechanical twin of

the Chevrolet S-10 and GMC Sonoma compact pickups. So it's a proven commodity.

The primary difference is that Isuzu has its own styling treatment for the front of the Hombre.

Also, fewer options are available than those offered on the GM models. The result: A sensible,

reliable pickup that won't rip the seams out of even a modest budget.

Four-wheel drive has been added to the Hombre line this year.