Going off-road, online
There is something exhilarating about going off the beaten track and conquering a stretch of road that would be right at home in a Wilbur Smith novel … but finding these “rough gems” can be problematic. This changed last year, however, when General Motors South Africa launched Isuzu Trailview, which has now been enhanced.
The interactive tool enables enthusiasts to preview off-road trails online, before even starting on their 4×4 journey off the beaten track. Various trails have been mapped with the help of an Isuzu KB 300 Extended Cab 4×4, equipped with a 360-degree camera.
This enables visitors to the website to plot their journey and view tips as well as photos and videos of the trail. And they can even add their own experiences and sightings with the click of a button.
“Isuzu owners love to take their vehicles away on weekends, to drive on off-road trails or visit family in far-flung areas,” says Isuzu brand manager, Mlungisi Nonkonyana. “Trailview is just one way of adding extra value to what Isuzu vehicles already offer. In addition, the enhancements we’ve made allow Trailview to better align with lifestyle activities such as mountain biking and trail running – events which are sponsored by Isuzu.”
The new Isuzu Trailview portal, which has been fully integrated into the Isuzu website, aims to empower users and offer them an even richer experience. Instead of just navigating the trail forwards and backwards, users can now view the entire trail in a much faster, smoother video-based encounter. There’s also the option of using the 360° button to get a clear view of the surroundings on the trail.
Users can also get to grips with a trail by viewing the elevation of the route and jumping to any point of interest on the map. In addition, one can explore the environment using the aerial view to develop a sense of the challenges that lie in wait.
“The improved Trailview site is also designed to work across different platforms, including smartphones,” explains Thandi Guilherme, Native VML’s user-experience designer. “The mission to be fully responsive is a work in progress, and one that is expanding every day with every new device that hits the market.”
The updated Trailview also allows users to embed each trail on their own websites – much like you would embed a YouTube video. “This is our biggest innovation by far; embedding a custom player across different sites has never been done before,” emphasises Guilherme. “These changes are the start of the next phase in Isuzu’s bid to build a growing, evolving community of outdoor lovers, adventure seekers and trail tourists.”