The Vauxhall Monterey was Vauxhall’s version of the Isuzu Trooper, sold in Britain from March 1992 to April 1999. It was a proper four-wheel-drive with a low-range transfer box, offered as a three-door RS or a five-door long model, and it was built by Isuzu in Japan.
Vauxhall Monterey at a glance
| Maker | Vauxhall (Opel Monterey on the continent) |
|---|---|
| Production | March 1992 – April 1999 |
| Based on | Isuzu Trooper II |
| Bodies | three-door RS and five-door long |
| Engines to 1998 | 3.1-litre turbo diesel, 114 PS; 3.2-litre V6 petrol, 177 PS |
| Engines from 1998 | 3.0-litre common-rail diesel, 159 PS; 3.5-litre V6, 215 PS |
| Drive | four-wheel drive with low range, standard |
| Differential lock | not fitted |
| Facelift | July 1998 |
| Import ended | April 1999 |
Written from the German article on the Opel Monterey and the English article on the Isuzu Trooper; the Vauxhall car is the same vehicle with a British badge.
History of the Vauxhall Monterey
The Monterey was Opel and Vauxhall’s version of the Isuzu Trooper, built by Isuzu and sharing its body with the Trooper II. It arrived in March 1992, at a time when the market for large four-wheel-drive estates was growing quickly and when Vauxhall had no model of its own in that class. Like the Opel Frontera, the Monterey came as a three-door RS and as a five-door long version.
Until the 1998 update the engine choice was a 3.1-litre four-cylinder indirect-injection turbo diesel with intercooler and 84 kW (114 PS), or a 3.2-litre V6 petrol with 130 kW (177 PS). Four-wheel drive and a low-range transfer box were standard, but no differential lock was fitted, which limited the car compared with more focused off-roaders. The Monterey was comfortable and roomy rather than agile, and it competed with the Toyota Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan Patrol.
In July 1998 the Monterey was facelifted, with a rounder, friendlier front end, a new dashboard and an upgraded interior, and the engines were revised: a 3.0-litre common-rail direct-injection turbodiesel of 117 kW (159 PS) and a 3.5-litre V6 petrol of 158 kW (215 PS) replaced the earlier units. Opel stopped importing the Monterey in April 1999, and from January 2000 Isuzu took over sales of the Trooper in Germany itself. In Britain the Monterey was not replaced directly; Vauxhall’s next large four-wheel-drive was the American-built Frontera’s successor range and later the Antara.
Design and features
- Isuzu build: the same vehicle as the Isuzu Trooper, made in Japan.
- Two bodies: three-door RS and five-door long.
- Low range as standard: four-wheel drive with a transfer box, but no differential lock.
- 1998 update: new front, dashboard and common-rail diesel.
Vauxhall Monterey versions
- Monterey RS: the short three-door version.
- Monterey long: the five-door estate.
- 3.1 TD: the 114 PS diesel of the early cars.
- 3.2 V6: the 177 PS petrol.
- 1998 models: 3.0 common-rail diesel and 3.5 V6.
The Monterey was Vauxhall’s large off-roader before the Antara, and it shared its showroom with the van range including the Brava. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.
Sources
- Opel Monterey, German Wikipedia: dates, bodies, engines, facelift
- Isuzu Trooper, English Wikipedia: Trooper background and badges
