Richard Bosselman puts the versatile Isuzu MU-X workhorse through its paces.
Diesel seven-seater family four-wheel drives that can adeptly take on big kilo towing are something of a rare breed these days. Those that can do that, and are also fully capable of tackling greater challenges than an occasional jaunt down a gravel road, all the more so.
Like its first generation predecessor, the latest Isuzu MU-X maintains membership of that small clan. Even so, when put side-by-side, it is easy to see that the new version represents as a much more polished product than the model it replaces.
That kind of credibility is all the more important now: Large, old-school off-roaders these days risk becoming bogged in the swamp of social stigma; perhaps all the more so with Clean Car, aka the ‘‘ute tax’’.
This MU-X arrived a year after its D-Max utility sister ship, which in turn is a close-cousin of the Mazda BT-50. It is offered here at just one specification level.
As well as furnishing with the plushest trimmings and a swathe of technology, the vehicle has been totally restyled, and it delivers really impressive safety systems, improved comfort and driver assists.
Even so, in continuing to base off a diesel toiler utility, the latest MU-X is also at heart a new era of old school; an example of advancement with one foot in the past, and in part because of that, it is also an extra-hardy vehicle born to take on tough challenges.
While the platform and drivetrain are shared between wagon and ute (and Mazda’s related BT-50 pick-up), styling-wise the association is not as obviously linked now. Few panels are common, the wagon has a lower roof line and it also takes slimmer headlamps. LED lamps are fitted all round, and there are side steps for ease of access.
Effort to diminish the commercial vehicle origins also shows within the cabin, with more shiny black finishing and soft touch plastics in places where it most matters. Dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, and a leather-like seat trim, helps raise the ambience, too.
The cabin is a welcoming environment then, except perhaps, in one respect; the main electronic display proved as much a frustration here as it did during my tests of the D-Max and Mazda BT-50. The vague and hard-to-see little icons and laggy response times irritate, and the navigation system’s operability simply defies logic. The saving grace is that the MU-X supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Assuming you have a phone to support one or the other, those system will become go-to's for digital technology functionality.
The seating arrangement is far better sorted. Sure, the driver’s position would probably benefit from a touch more telescopic range and, if you are tall, the seat doesn’t go quite low enough, yet it is a comfy, commanding position.
Equally good news is that the driver seat should not automatically be considered the best pew in the house. The front passenger chair and bench immediately behind are also comfortable and roomy. That mid-row is set higher than the fronts, so affords good forward vision and is plenty wide for three across.
The back-most row is decent not just for large children, but will also suit medium adults. As in the mid-row, cup and phone holders and ceiling vents are provided. The back seats also now individually recline.
Now powered, the tailgate opens to a much smarter boot, for capacity and convenience; one nice touch is that the carpeted floor is now slightly below the level of the load lip, so stuff won’t roll out as easily.
Boot capacity with all seats in use is 311 litres; with the third row stowed (now flush into the floor) there is 1119 litres. A little flap behind the third-row seats provides a small underfloor storage area as well, and there is a 12V power outlet for your air compressor or camping gadgets.
Isuzu’s replacement of the ute’s leaf spring rear axle with a far more sophisticated coil-sprung affair is a packaging requirement. A multi-link rear suspension might ultimately restrict it in really tough wilderness work, but in general driving, the redesign pays off.
It’s still not outright street suave dynamically – a body-on-frame configuration simply doesn’t allow this — yet with coil spring, driving comfort and quality improves. Also, occupants, particularly those in the back, are spared the jolty ride that is a leaf-spring trademark.
At the wheel one notices straight away how much more settled this latest MU-X is over pock-marked surfaces, and also that it is much less tail happy than the ute on gravel.
The quality of the job Isuzu has wrought here is reflected in the choice of 20-inch wheels. On some vehicles of this ilk, 20-inch rims would be a dynamic compromise choice, but on the MU-X there’s no suffering for a selection that also lends to the model’s handsomeness.
The choice of Bridgestone Dueler tyres reflects expectation about the range of driving conditions it is expected to cope with. The level of grip and traction is decent, but so is surface-generated roar, particularly on coarse chip. Mind you, even if the rubber was more hushed, this rig would not become a paragon of silence. Isuzu’s claims of improved sound insulation and reduced vibration stack up, yet you are never in any doubt there is a diesel forward of the firewall.
The engine’s bombast speaks to its brawn; despite the peak outputs of 140kW and 450Nm (10kW and 20Nm more than before) this is not an engine that sizzles.Yet while it never feels hugely power-packed, low to mid-range muscularity is strong, and that is really what is important given the jobs it is envisaged to undertake, including towing loads of up to 3500kg.
S ticking with a six-speed auto when rivals have gone to eight, and even 10-speed units, might seem a pointer to limited development budgets, yet it does the job adequately, save that it can jolt when dropping a ratio or two down hills for additional engine braking.
MU-X’s recalibrated off-road system from the ute bodes well, as this includes a new Rough Terrain mode that changes the traction control to tackle the more slippery areas, plus a locking rear differential.
The four-wheel-drive mode actions are nicely done. The smoothness in which it will engage in and out of four high from rear-drive at reasonable clip is impressive; the lack of hesitancy will be appreciated by those driving gravel roads that are interspersed with short stretches of seal.
Dropping into low range is also less finicky than before. Select neutral, push and twist the knob and seconds later it is engaged. The diff lock is a bit fussier about if and when it will activate, but it’s a great asset. There’s also a handy increase in the MU-X’s rated wading depth, which is now 800mm.
During on-road driving, the MU-X ultimately most rewards a patient approach. Expect some body lean and, though it delivers wonderfully stable loose-surface stopping, it also requires a generous distance.
The single best improvement is with the steering. Switching from a hydraulic to electric power system was primarily to allow driver-assist system compatibility, but it also delivers greater accuracy more effortlessly, the latter being a particular asset in town. Sure, there is no getting around its size in the city; its length and width. Manoeuvres can require lots of road room.
Although several of the active safety systems — the lane centring in particular — can be a little too nannying, the overall safety package warrants a nod of approval. Gathering under the collective banner of Isuzu Intelligent Driver Assist, the suite includes adaptive radar cruise control with stop-go functionality, forward-collision warning and braking systems, lane-keeping assist, traffic-sign recognition, automatic emergency and post-collision braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, and driver-attention warning.
The MU-X is very much a get-what-you-see product; smarter and generally better sorted than its predecessor, save for that infotainment interface. Perhaps most importantly, it exudes enough of the ‘‘right stuff’’ to serve as a genuine muck-in workhorse as well as a true family wagon.
The biggest challenge might be price positioning. In isolation, it stands being $15,000 more expensive than its forebear because it is so much more advanced. Yet at time of writing, its primary rivals were lot cheaper and some just as polished.
Photos: Richard Bosselman
