2017 Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4×4 very first drive review
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We joined the I-Venture club on a four day off-roading venture.
Isuzu tends to fly under the radar in Australia. There are actually two Isuzu companies here, one specialising in trucks and the other, Isuzu Ute Australia, taking care of smaller artillery.
Here’s the interesting thing; since the creation of the separate Isuzu Ute business just nine years ago, the local distributor has racked up 100,000 cumulative sales of the one-tonne D-Max and (from 2013) the seven-seater MU-X.
This growing band of customers has emerged from just two product lines, the D-Max range of utes, and the large MU-X SUV.
The sales graph has headed north every year since the inception of Isuzu Ute (a name that was rendered instantly misleading four years ago, when the company added the SUV to the line-up). Sales of the MU-X have leapt from four thousand six hundred in the very first total year (2014) to more than seven thousand annually last year.
“Go Your Own Way”*, the instantly recognisable soundtrack to Isuzu television commercials, could also be the company credo.
Whatever it’s doing is certainly working.
The brand has secured a niche at the harsh end of the 4×2 and 4×4 work ute and rugged SUV market, customers discovering and appreciating Isuzu’s visible strengths – value, durability, reliability, a punchy and torquey diesel turbo diesel engine, standout towing spectacle with handy fuel economy, all packaged up with a five-year/150,000km warranty. Cost of ownership has come down thanks to capped price servicing and longer service intervals.
Isuzu is also has an initiative called I-Venture Club, essentially an special programme for owners to learn from off-road experts to get the most from their D-Max or MU-X in a managed environment. Isuzu also backs the Team D-Max precision driving team which has been a big main arena attraction and regional and city shows across Australia.
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Owners tend to be welded on, loyal, and strong brand advocates. Customer satisfaction is 2nd only to Lexus.
There has been criticism that the Isuzu interiors were austere with too many hard plastics. Uproarious engine noise was another annoyance.
Listening to the market, Isuzu has now introduced to the MU-X (and the D-Max) a Euro5 emissions compliant drivetrain developed specifically and exclusively for Australia. This Trio.0-litre turbo diesel producing 130kW of power and 430Nm of torque gives Isuzu owners the big-capacity spectacle they want at a time when rivals are tending to go to smaller displacement engines. The common-rail engine has kept the same capacity but is extensively revised with a host of fresh internals, plus better fuel pump, turbocharger and diesel particulate diffuser.
Fresh too are a fresh six-speed manual or six-speed auto, substituting old five speeders. The lock-up converter auto has an adaptive learning function and a sequential shift which gives the driver the same control as a manual in requiring off-road situations.
Model Year ’17 upgrades to the cabin and exterior have arrived for the MU-X too, along with attention to noise intrusion, the aim being to broaden the appeal of the seven-seater by adding some grind to the rough nut. Its competitors include the Toyota Prado and Fortuner, Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Holden Trailblazer.
A fresh grille and bi-LED projector headlights (with a self-levelling feature useful for those who tow and lug varying cargo geysers) are other evident switches.
Safety equipment extends to six airbags, traction control, hill begin assist and hill decent control, but does not include the advanced active features available on some of today’s SUVs such as forward collision warning or lane-departure warning. It has a five-star ANCAP crash rating.
There are still three grades of MU-X – base LS-M, intermediate LS-U and range-topping LS-T. All suggest the choice of 4×2 or 4×4 and all have a third row of seats (the rearward two rows also spin and fold to give a vapid cargo area taking up to one thousand eight hundred thirty litres).
The entry-level LS-M rails on new-design 16-inch alloys while the top two variants both have 18-inch alloys. Befitting their multi-purpose versatility, MU-Xs are fitted with all-terrain tyres.
All MU-Xs have front dual wishbone suspension design with coil springs, and a rear five-link arrangement, also with coils. Wheels articulation is agreeable enough.
The MU-Xs come with generous ground clearance – 220-230mm – and are also protected by an underbody skid plate and other armoury to shield the sump, transfer cases and fuel tank.
A big difference is the re-done interior predominated by the dual-tone dash. Most of the hard plastic surfaces have been substituted with soft-touch finishes (also on the armrests and console lid) and there are splashes of modern chrome-look and piano-black highlights.
The LS-U and LS-T now also have an 8.0-inch touchscreen with bold and elementary graphics, with inbuilt sat-nav, reversing camera (with guidelines) and lightning-quick phone pairing. The base LS-M variants have a smaller 7.0-inch screen, but with the same infotainment features and reversing camera.
All get three USB ports, three 12V outlets, twelve cup-holders and eighteen storage nooks and crannies.
The top-of-the-range MU-X has a flip-down roof-mounted 10-inch DVD screen for the amusement of those in the second- and third-row seat occupants. A downside is the screen partly obscures the driver’s view through the rear window.
The seats of the LS-T have an attractive stitched pattern on the leather-look trim.
Retail prices of the fresh MY17 MU-X are generally up by around $1000 at every level but still represent appealing value. The base 4×2 LS-M auto (the two-wheel-drive models are auto only) starts at $42,800 plus on road costs.
The cheapest 4×4, a LS-M manual, is $48,000, while the top-of-the-totem LS-T (auto only too) carries a $56,100 plus on-road costs. Confusingly however, and reflecting the competitiveness of this segment, this variant is also available from launch at $52,990 drive-away. On value and features, this MU-X LS-T is destined to be the most popular pick.
Climb aboard and yes, the cabin is nicer. Not cascading in luxury, but functional, convenient and now with some nice fresh touches including passive entry and push-button begin, and six-way electrical adjustable driver’s seat. The adjustability however is not extensive – no lumbar – and the driver is perched too high for our liking.
Still, the contrast stitching on the pretend leather seats looks rather swish. The fresh touchscreen lacks a ordinary old-style volume control knob instead there is an awkward button at the base and an adjuster on the steering wheel. The entire infotainment system is kindy elementary in presentation and clarity. Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls and audio streaming happens in a heartbeat. Quaintly, there also a CD slot for old-school folks. The eight-speaker sound system sounds okay too for a vehicle with a hard working nature.
But no telescopic adjustment with the steering. Not good in 2017.
With the MU-X (and the D-Max for that matter), there’s no equivocation over the choice of engine. That obligatory punchy turbo diesel Three.0-litre four-cylinder hits the spot with its excellent pulling power from way down in the revs.
Throw a decent explosion aboard or a trailer on the tow bar, and it hardly notices.
The engine’s fuel economy, despite the big displacement and big torque numbers is a thrifty 7.9-litres per 100km combined. Even with a fountain on the hook, these figures don’t rise greatly.
The fresh Aisin six-speed auto learns driving priorities and mechanism on the fly and the extra cog means the gaps in gears are less evident with a benefit to fuel useage. The LS-T range topper is not available with a manual transmission, but Isuzu is telling autos will account for a massive ninety five per cent of overall MU-X sales.
With a part-time but effective 4×4 system which permits you to switch inbetween rear drive only and 4WD at up to 100km/h, the MU-X has never shunned the off-road venture caper, either. Some rough track thicket work, steep rutted inclines and a duo of filthy mud fuckholes were effortless meat for the driveline in low range (and despite the absence of a rear diff lock). Good suspension travel, auto-braking hill descent control and the responsive engine at idle speeds all helped. Earlier we were treated to a display of the MU-X’s climbing capability up a forty five degree artificial summit, the steepest 4WD climb in the world. Chunk of cake.
On the highway, the upgraded engine impresses, the fresh turbocharger and improved fuel injection combining to broaden its power delivery. Its extra grunt over the older model is noticeable in most driving situations.
The MU-X LS-T’s lazy almost four turns lock-to-lock steering misses out on the feedback and control a driver expects on the black top. There is also some jiggle through the hydraulic rack and pinion system.
Isuzu says that the upgraded MU-X has been treated with a welter of remedies to reduce cabin noise and stimulation. But the diesel rattle remains fairly noticeable at commence up and under acceleration.
While the base MU-X runs on 16-inch rims and 70-series rubber, the mid-and top-line variants each get 18s and lower-profile 255/60s. These tyres are better on road but not as good off the tarmac, where they are a little more likely to suffer harm.
Unsurprisingly in a vehicle purporting to appeal as up for most terrain challenges, every MU-X is tooled with a full-sized spare.
That’s a given when you’re in penalizing, remote areas. Isuzu’s dealer network is growing steadily and now numbers around one hundred thirty with good country cover.
No-one in the market for a fresh SUV will include an Isuzu MU-X and say a glam BMW X5 or Audi Q7 on the same shopping list. Even with the nice fresh touches to the interior, the MU-X’s true appeal is to those who want an affordable, rugged, dependable conveyance of up to seven people, convenient towing hefty fountains, with reasonable cost of ownership and covered by best-in-class warranty.
Still, Isuzu hopes the refinement improvements will help broaden the appeal of the MU-X.
“At heart we’re still a 4WD brand,” said Mike Conybeare, the general manager of marketing for Isuzu Ute Australia. “But the updates have the potential to take the product to those people who want a comfy versatile family vehicle.”
Conybeare also senses that there will be a greater take up of 4×2 MU-Xs.
“The rear-drive-only variants still have the same 3000kg towing capability [as the 4×4] but are around seven grand cheaper.”
*”Go Your Own Way” was a massive hit for Fleetwood Mac in early 1977. A current Melbourne band, Kingswood, performs the soundtrack for the Isuzu TV commercials.
2017 Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4×4 pricing and specifications
Price: $56,100 plus on road costs or $52,900 drive away (confusing innit? Now which will I opt for….?)
Engine: Trio.0-litre 16v DOHC 4cyl turbo diesel
Torque: 430Nm at 2000-2200rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive