THERE are very few car companies out there today with fewer cars in their line-up than Isuzu Ute. With just two models in the stable, only supercar-makers like Lamborghini offer as few choices.

The D-Max pick-up is the company’s number one seller, with a solid and growing support base locally – but it’s the company’s second model that is causing the most interest.

The MU-X can be considered one of the first of the reborn 4x4 wagon generation, hitting showrooms in late 2013 ahead of rivals like the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the Toyota Fortuner., but a year after the mechanically related Holden Colorado 7.

Its sales started slowly, but it’s subsequently built up a nice head of steam for the brand, contributing 7000 sales in 2016 and closing in on the D-Max’s monthly stats.

Isuzu already introduced the Euro 5 version of the engine to the MU-X earlier in the year to what it terms a MY16.5 model it got the new powertrain including a new automatic gearbox, but not the internal and external tweaks introduced overseas late last year.

Well, they’re here now, so we’re testing the full-fat MY17 version over a long day’s driving in northern Queensland. Is it worth the fuss of two updates in less than four months?

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