Isuzu MU-X LS-T 2017 Review

Old story
Given the MU-X is based on the D-MAX ute, it’s certain Isuzu signed-off on much of the core engineering and design prior to the D-MAX launch back in 2008. So we have a base package which by any measure is not new.

So no driver-assist features such as blindspot monitoring, active cruise control or forward collision alert in the MU-X, even though they’re featured in some rivals. For the MU-X, stability control is about as fancy as it gets.

Nevertheless, the MU-X has delivered the aforementioned double-digit sales growth every year. Some will attribute MU-X’s success to simply being part of a segment enjoying phenomenal growth and thus riding on the coat tails of newcomers like the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner. Equally, the flashy newcomers should have swayed buyers away from the relatively plain MU-X – but they haven’t.

Seems there is more than meets the eye with Isuzu’s competent SUV.

Inside line
For the interior, changes include some seam-stitched vinyl strategically placed to spice things up. A step in the right direction no doubt, but not sufficient to disguise the cheap plastics used on the upper surfaces. At least the LS-T grade’s new leather seats look the part.

The new eight-inch infotainment screen is easy to navigate, except for the ‘Eco’ mode, which seems to include a ‘pip’ sound - seemingly random - to provide some message about fuel consumption. I’m sure there’s an explanation buried deep in the owner’s manual.

Otherwise, the MU-X seems to cover off all the inside basics really well. The controls are easy to find and use, the instruments are clear and logical and vision is excellent. Comfort in all three rows is pretty good; even the third row individual pews have sufficient space for average-size adults to contemplate short road trips and those folk seated aft enjoy cupholders and storage trays just like their mates in row two.

Quiet achiever
The new aspect inside the latest Isuzu MU-X is one you can’t see – reduced noise. According to Isuzu, fresh cleverly located insulation has resulted in a noise reduction of 3dB.

While it was difficult to detect any difference at lower engine speeds, noise does seem noticeably muted beyond 3000rpm – things are less clattery and less intrusive.

Helping keep the noise down when cruising is the new six-speed automatic transmission with taller ratios that the previous five-speeder. At 100km/h in sixth gear, the 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel is spinning at 1500rpm (or 1800rpm in fifth gear if climbing hills or overtaking). By way of comparison: at 100km/h, the MY15 revved at 1900rpm in fifth and 2600rpm in fourth at 100km/h.

In fact, when cruising in the MY17 Isuzu MU-X, the most obvious sound was wind noise around the exterior mirrors.

Isuzu’s workhorse 130kW/430Nm turbo-diesel has a good spread of torque and performs well. The only downside is the tardy response off-idle when you need a burst of power – definitely not at the sharp end of the field there and maybe showing its age.

While the six-speed automatic has a good ratio spread, it lacks a ‘Sport’ mode and the adaptive, ‘intelligent’ mode is slow to kick down when trying to apply full power on tight, winding roads . As a result, you resort to manual mode, which doesn’t hold gears when approaching the redline and, at low revs, also kicks down by itself.

On the other hand, while descending a hill in ‘D’, the transmission cleverly knocks back a gear or two, helping to peg back speed with engine braking almost intuitively.

The rack and pinion steering is direct, although 3.84 turns lock-to-lock sees a fair bit of wheel twirling. Turn in seems a little quicker thanks to lower profile 18-inch tyres but there’s still not a lot of feel through the steering wheel. Isuzu MU-X shows its off-road pedigree with a tight 11.6-metre turning circle.

When just two-up, the MU-X rides well, and the change from 17-inch tyres to the skinnier-sidewall 18-inch items doesn’t appear to have affected the Isuzu’s supple ride.

The body does flex a little on rough roads, but there’s nothing unusual there given its body-on-chassis construction.

Getting rough
We had the opportunity to give the MU-X a work out on some forestry tracks, and the combination of 230mm ground clearance, good off-road angles and satisfactory engine torque make for a handy tool in the bush. Like all independent-front 4WDs (whose suspension, when compressed, creates reduced ground clearance), you’re going to christen the engine bash plate sooner rather than later descending a high-crown track.

And while the hill descent control system works well, the 33:1 overall reduction in low-first gear isn’t the best in this league.

In total, we covered a bit over 200kms, including a fair slab of slow bush track driving, and saw a combined fuel consumption of 12.2l/100kms (according to the trip computer).

No night driving at the launch, but we did tackle some forestry tracks with a thick tree canopy and found the Isuzu MU-X’s new Bi-LED headlights to be a promising new feature.

Overall, you could conclude the MY17 updates for the Isuzu MU-X don’t appear to be headline-grabbing. But the opposite is true: the big news here is just how prominently Australian customers rank with the top brass at Isuzu’s Japanese HQ.

Responding to surveys, local buyers listed interior quality and noise as the key areas for improvements (and telling did not rate driver assistance technology) and these areas became the focus of the latest update. Clearly those buyers enjoy the simple, honest good all-round performance offered by the MU-X.

Yes, the Isuzu MU-X currently has no glaring faults, but the question is: with the latest model now launched and lagging behind rivals on the technology front, for how much longer will buyers be happy?

2017 Isuzu MU-X LS-T pricing and specifications:
Price: $56,100 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 130kW/430Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 209g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP