Reviews
Gallery76
Welcome
Price as tested: $66,883 (including on-road costs and accessories)
Fuel since collected: 451km @ 10.5L/100km
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I can't say that the previous MU-X was on my list of Cars To Drive Before I Die. I understood the value proposition, was amused that it comprehensively outsold its Holden twin but found it to be a car I Did Not Want To Drive. Loud, ponderous and oddly packaged, it was clear that the fact it was cheap, good at towing and very, very capable off-road was what drove its sales. The blingy front end really turned me off it, too.
Then came the second generation, with big price rises corresponding to big on-paper improvements. New cabin, new packaging, updated engine and a slightly more restrained approach to styling, it looked the goods. And when I drove the mid-spec LS-U fresh off the boat, I agreed that this car was a vast improvement.
Which brings me to the LS-T parked on my driveway for the next few months. I am not an avid outdoorsman, camper or off-roader. I will be using this car largely as most suburban buyers do, for the usual running about and the occasional trip out of the city confines.
I will – various restrictions on time and movement permitting – find some challenging tracks and if the chaps at 4x4 Magazine have anything to do with it, hitch something heavy to its towbar.
What are the highlights?
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As I've already said, this is the LS-T. That means it's the top-of-the-tree of the three specification levels and it's the 4x4 version, which since launch has been retailing for $63,990 drive-away (the MSRP is $65,990 + ORC). Added to that figure is $500 for the fetching Cobalt Blue paint and yet more for the tow kit, 12-pin plug and electronic brake controller, taking us to $66,883.
I said in my original review that the $6000 gap between the LS-U and LS-T probably wasn't six grand unless you really wanted certain bits and pieces and I stand by that. Given the drive-away promotional price of the range-topper, maybe Isuzu thinks I'm on to something because the gap isn’t anything like that and changes the value proposition for the better.
You get the bigger 9.0-inch media screen (also on the LS-U) and 20-inch alloys, LED interior lighting, leather steering wheel and shifter, leather seats, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, powered and heated front seats, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, remote start, sat-nav, auto door locking, auto-levelling bi-LED headlights with auto high beam, auto wipers and a powered tailgate.
Safety
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The LS-T ships from Thailand with eight airbags (the curtain reaching all the way to the third row), forward AEB with turn assist, forward collision warning, post-collision braking, traffic sign recognition, misacceleration mitigation, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane departure prevention, driver attention detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, hill descent control, trailer sway control, rollover mitigation, reversing camera and tyre pressure monitoring.
Sadly for bigger families, only the middle row features child seat anchoring, with two ISOFIX points and three top-tether points.
Since I drove the new cars in August, ANCAP has had its wicked way with the MU-X and gave it a five-star safety rating to match that of the D-Max.
I said in my original review that the $6000 gap between the LS-U and LS-T probably wasn't six grand. I stand behind that and given the driveaway promotional price, maybe Isuzu thinks I'm on to something.
Getting to know you
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Given I had already driven the LS-U, I knew what to expect. Heft, mostly. It's such a big car at just under five metres. It's the height, though, that really gets you. The headlights are quite small and the grille kind of shrinks everything into it, so it looks taller again because it looks narrower than it is. It does look pretty good in the Cobalt Blue, though, a big improvement on the metallic brown of the last one I drove.
The cabin is roomy and robust. I was a fan of the cloth of the mid-spec car and I can't say I'd choose the fake leather if I was to use this car as Isuzu intended. It does have rugged rubber mats for that "hose me out" vibe, though, so that's a good thing. The plastics are middle-of-the-road, being neither plush nor scratchy (for the most part), the Tupperware vibe of the old one now a thing of the past.
It's a loud old thing when you fire it up from cold. Trundling around the ‘burbs doesn't quiet it down much either, so you need to be patient. The long lazy throttle suits the engine's high torque delivery at low revs, you just need to remember to give it a good shove if you need a bit of extra pep.
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Where the engine works really nicely is on the open road. A long motorway run delivered an unexpectedly comfortable and quiet experience. The stereo more than overcame the road and wind noise, which were nicely damped from the get-go.
Even rolling on 20-inch tyres, the ride is plush for a ute-based SUV and between the suspension and tyres, there's not much left of bumps by the time they get to your backside. Speaking of backsides, the seats are very comfortable and suit the car perfectly, just enough grip to stop you sliding about and there are hefty grab handles everywhere if it's really rough.
We've got a ways to go with the MU-X and hopefully some free time in the weeks ahead will see me get it a bit muddy and try out 4x4 mode.
Update 1: Getting Into the Groove
Fuel since collected: 2867km @ 8.5L/100km
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The MU-X's second month with me proved a challenge because, for some of it, it was in the hands of fellow contributor Curt Dupriez. In the spirit of the Victorian government giving him an inch, he took a mile – well, 1800km, so about 1116 of them – and fired off down the Hume to Ballarat.
I had expected my MU-X was going to be in demand because it's so popular and because our initial impressions last year were very positive. Naturally, lockdowns stymied some of the plans we had for it.
Curt stepped up not only with the big trip south but he was keen to take it off-road. He didn't get too ambitious because being at the top of the range on road-biased tyres, he didn't fancy puncturing a tyre or worse, knocking it off its rim.
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"It protested when attempting to activate 4L off-road with no clear indication to the user why. I wasn't about to go digging through the owner's manual, as one wouldn't when finding themself in the middle of a tricky off-roading situation."
Seems that may have been an unfortunate glitch because I gave it a go in the driveway and it engaged happily. These things do happen, but it might be something to watch for. Curt knows what he's doing but also didn't push his luck because he was a long way from a tow.
During his week and a bit with the big blue beast, Curt felt the engine was a bit lazy and thought the auto was reluctant to kick down.
"The powertrain doesn't need a 'sport' mode, per se, just a generally crisper and more immediate calibration."
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I share that view – while I get why the transmission isn't super-fast, it does sometimes have a bit of a think before deciding what you're after. The enormous torque does help fill the gap but around town, it would be nice if you could get the right gear to get it shifting when you're going for a gap or you've just been informed by Sydney's terrible road signage that you need to be over there.
Curt also found it thirsty around town, again something I didn't find, so I originally put that down to driving styles. The average for November was 8.3L/100km, which is commendable for a giant brick of a thing both in town and firing down the freeway. I'm putting it down to a misreading of the fuel consumption figure as Isuzu insists on km/L rather than L/100km. He did concede it was at least acceptable on the open road.
During his week and a bit with the big blue beast, Curt felt the engine was bit and lazy and thought the auto was reluctant to kick down
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Getting back to our experience as a family, the Isuzu's utility is obviously excellent. Despite being tall and long, it's not too tricky to park once you get the hang of the off-centre reversing camera. My wife, who is not a fan of giant SUVs, found it reasonably easy to live with. It's done duty as a load-lugger but missed out on the litmus test for any long-termer in our possession – airport runs. Given the space, it would likely have swallowed luggage for even my heavy-travelling in-laws.
Next month is the final month in the update, where we hope to get a few more miles under the MU-X's belt.
Update 2: Goodbye Already
Fuel since collected: 4317km @ 8.3L/100km
Spoiler alert: While this is Peter's final instalment, we'll have one final piece in the coming weeks, with Curt Dupriez taking our long-termer off-road. Watch for that.
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Big lumbering off-roaders – the MU-X is a proper off-roader, not just an SUV – are not generally my bag. The previous MU-X, a vehicle I didn't drive until very late in its lifecycle, I didn't like very much at all. It was clearly capable but had some pretty weird usability problems.
It was, of course, dirt-cheap for a heck of a lot of metal, so I understood it, even if I didn't like it.
Driving this new MU-X in 2021, in the depths of lockdown, made it very obvious that Isuzu had worked extraordinarily hard on it. Perhaps not working with penny-pinching General Motors released the teams to do their best work.
I knew the MU-X was a good car but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did
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Despite the various strictures we lived with during our time with the MU-X, we got almost everything done, except for the airport run with my in-laws, which is always a joyous occasion on the outbound run.
The off-road test was handled by the excellent Curt, so look out for that separate story.
I concentrated on how most people would use this car day-to-day. It navigated all the things we threw at it so much better than the old car.
Passengers didn't have to contort themselves to get into either the second or third row. The third row is surprisingly usable. The second row, given its ute origins, is narrower than a dedicated passenger SUV platform (yes, that's what I'm calling those cars now) but that's the same as you'll find in the Pajero Sport or Fortuner.
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I was always out on my own when I considered the Pajero Sport the best of the ute-based SUVs for everyday use. It's very capable on- and off-road but also has a good interior, works well in the city (for a car of its size) and is easy to live with.
"Ctrl+C, Ctrl+P" for the new MU-X. One of the things I wanted to think about with the MU-X was whether it had caught up to what I consider the best of the segment and it absolutely has.
It has a rugged but attractive interior, plenty of gear, looks pretty good in a fairly tall and narrow way, sort of like Jeff Goldblum. It'll take on anything and be quite good at it, again sort of like Jeff Goldblum.
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Also reinforced was my opinion that may not make me popular with Isuzu which is that the LS-T isn't the one to have, even at the ongoing sharp price. You're just not missing out on much and with the big spangly wheels, you're probably less inclined to hit the mud and ruts.
I knew the MU-X was a good car but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. These two things can be mutually exclusive. I have liked some genuinely terrible cars in the past (Holden Malibu) and disliked some very good cars for no other reason than they just did nothing for me.
Capable, refined at a cruise, very comfortable and cheap to own and run. And a postcode's worth of car for the price of a mid-sized European SUV
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I liked the gravel-voiced Isuzu MU-X very much. It's still not my bag but I know that if I was to set out on an adventure, it's the kind of car I would consider very carefully.
Capable, refined at a cruise (but very grumbly when cold and around town), very comfortable and cheap to own and run. And a postcode's worth of car for the price of a mid-sized European SUV.
It’s fair and reasonable that a certain amount of assumed knowledge, learnt through experience, is required for serious off-roading. Or situations serious enough to demand low-range 4x4 activation.
But there I was, a city-slicker pointing the long-term Isuzu MU-X’s bluff noise up a steep, craggy ascent situated along a fire trail in the Victorian gold fields bushland. The wagon’s not happy, its driver’s screen flashing some warning code in the driver’s screen in a steady rhythm accompanied by an audible tone alerting that, no, low-range is not engaged. And it’s no fault of the machinery.
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“Dickhead…dickhead…dickhead…” blares the MU-X.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” asks my 11-year-old son riding shotgun. “I’m scared.”
Drive. Park. Activate. Deactivate. Repeat. Beep…beep…beep.
Of course, it’s user error. The 4x4 system requires the transmission in neutral to electronically switch between high and low range. Or so I learn later. Duh!
The MU-X offers no in-screen guidance-for-newbies but why should it? Low-range is ‘getting serious’ mode for at least an intermediate-grade 4x4 challenge. Be it pride or ego in the presence of Junior, I resist diving for the owner’s manual in the glovebox. We abort.
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Some weeks and around 800 kilometres later, the MU-X and I reconvene at the wonderfully named Wombat Holes on the Old Bells Line of Road not far from Lithgow, right in thick of one of New South Wale’s most popular hard-core off-roading meccas. From here to the more gloriously coined Lost City tourist landmark, it’s expert mode off-roading, punctuated with pro-level challenges thanks to recent spell of torrential rain.
It’s our very last day of long-term MU-X custodianship. I want to make it count.
In such wet conditions, traction and wading become deceptively challenging. Or so I’m told from the passenger seat of the MU-X, not from Junior but via 4x4 Australia Deputy Editor Evan Spence, fresh from 4x4 Of The Year, my guardian angel of sorts today. He’s brought along the sister title’s Project D-Max, complete with mud-kicking modifications and enough rescue gear to, if need be, snatch a Tarmac-dweller and his factory-fresh, stock-rubbered MU-X from disaster’s brink.
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Confidence is high. The MU-X is decent enough hot-mix cruiser, but it’s slightly spongy and aloof chassis really finds its natural groove – and begins to really make sense – the instant it leaves sealed roads and powers across dirt and gravel. Across the well-graded surfaces along the Old Bells main artery, from which the proper off-roading trails branch from too and fro, it’s a champ.
The course gets rougher as you further into the bush. Still, the MU-X glides across the deep potholes and heavy corrugations at speed, with a shimmy in its tail while offering plenty of grip, traction and composure. Slightly fidgety around town, the ride becomes fittingly compliant and controlled even when the suspension encounters fast and sharp vertical movements, the dampers settling progress nicely. The Dueller H/T rubber – quite low in profile, a fairly closed tread pattern and not uncommon fitment for the dual-cab pick-ups – iron out the smaller lumps, rocky edges and shards well.
The MU-X is a decent hot-mix cruiser, but its slightly spongy chassis finds its groove the instant it leaves sealed roads and powers across dirt and gravel
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We arrive at a spot Evan uses to assess all manner of 4x4 machinery regularly, “sometimes once a week,” he explains. Before venturing into the landscape moguls, he dives into a tale of a recent incident where a common acquaintance had ventured through tougher stuff nearby with a press vehicle, entering a body of water and hydraulic locking the engine, throwing a con-rod through the side of the cylinder block.
Suddenly, confidence is lower…
The ruts ahead appear scooped from the earth by the Spoon of God if suspiciously manicured by man, barely wider than the MU-X’s sidesteps and with crowning lumps along its centre that’ll surely test the strength of the soon-to-be-beached Isuzu sump guard. This challenge is, I’m told, is the “easy one”.
“Neutral!” I volunteer proudly and the MU-X slips into 4-Low quickly, no dickheads required.
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Technically, the MU-X differs from Evan’s D-Max daily driver beyond aftermarket modifications, despite possible assumption it’s simply a family friendly five-door body bolted atop the related pick-up’s backbone, hardware and heartbeat. The wheelbase is shorter and, importantly, the leaf sprung rear suspension has been supplanted by a coil-sprung design. It’s the MU-X, then, with slightly better ground clearance and longer travel for superior wheel articulation.
The wagon fits a selectable rear differential lock like the D-Max does, but also adds an independent Rough Terrain traction control system not present in Evan’s customized pick-up. After sizing up the unusually slick mogul mud, Evan advises, to my surprise, to set the rear axle centre unlocked and leave the heavy lifting to the traction control’s number crunching smarts.
“A locked axle with cause the rear to slide sideways,” he explains. And there’s simply no margin in the available clearance, lest we scrape the wagon’s metallic blue door skins against Mother Earth.
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In we go, slow and steady, light on a constant throttle. The MU-X nosedives politely into one rut and then the other on the opposite side, no crashing or evident bodily impact as the rear tyres take turns cocking hind legs into the air like a drunk labrador. Soon enough, airborne wheels spin freely while the meagre Bridgestone tread that’s in contact with the slick trail struggles to find purchase.
“She’ll be right,” encourages Evan and, sure enough, restrain on the loud pedal entices the electronic torque-shuffling smarts to glean just enough adhesion from the rubber still in contact and with glacial momentum the MU-X negotiates a neat and dignified exit out the other side.
Buoyed, we head in convoy deeper inland towards Lost City – apparently - via a goat track mostly covered with neat brown pools of water, powering through before Evan’s D-Max hauls up just before nosing into largest tract. He gets out, grabs a tree branch and dips it into the pool to gauge its depth. “Nope, too deep to wade,” he advises. No conrods will be sacrificed today.
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But he knows a spot - a “good one” - and off we go for a few kays before hauling up on corner, my guide quickly disappearing down a well-hidden side track before returning, a minute later, wearing a Cheshire grin. A tougher spot he often uses gets the thumbs up but I’m not so sure once I see it. A fair way down a narrow path, with no realistic way out (in reverse) the MU-X faces what appears all the part like a meteor crater, barely wider than the width of the wagon’s wheel tracks, complete with a severe left lean.
In we go, slowly as you like. He has me steering in effort find solid traction with the right-front tyre on some high rock sections. The more I aim, the more the Isuzu rolls to the left. But the time we’re fully committed and into the gully-like rut well deep, every measure of forward movement is met with an equal measure of sliding towards the left and the metre-deep vertical mud wall that’s becoming a close very acquaintance with the passenger-side window sill.
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Evan advises I steer in counter directions to what all of my instincts lead me believe before he commands I hold up, the dramatically tilted Isuzu body work almost resting up against the vertical dirt bank. He winds down the passenger-side window and climbs out. I figure this is precisely where adventure ceases and recovery begins…
But no. From a better vantage point outside the vehicle, he guides my driving inputs remotely and soon enough the MU-X crawls itself, untethered and unscathed, from disaster. Or at least an uncomfortable phone call to Isuzu Ute Australia…
The MU-X glides across the deep potholes and heavy corrugations at speed, with a shimmy in its tail while offering plenty of grip, traction and composure
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I spin the wagon around as the only the way out is the way we came in and Evan comes bounding back from his D-Max having fetched a couple of bright orange recovery tracks, “$500 a piece!”
He plants them at the start of the low-point of the hole (now the right side), climbs into the wagon, gently lowers it into the ruts and proceeds to make haste of the return trip with one very neat 4x4 party trick.
With almost full left-hand lock and on the power, the outer edge of the spinning front tyre creates a cushion along the muddy wall during surprisingly swift forward motion, creating a rubber buffer that keeps the rest of the MU-X – its sidesteps, its paintwork – from scraping against the landscape. In moments, he and his ride are safely out the other side. Bravo!
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Our long-term MU-X’s hairiest test was to be its last. Mettle tested and point proven, we head back to the hot-mix, cross the Blue Mountains, hit the motorways and two hours later we return the Isuzu to its supplier’s south-western Sydney home. Utterly filthy if without a scratch.
Adios MU-X. In the end, you were great fun.
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