Overview

THE rhetorical question of the decade is why a two-model brand built in Thailand that people think is a Japanese truck company is outselling Nissan, Subaru, Volkswagen, Subaru, BMW, Audi and both car and van divisions of Mercedes-Benz.

Such is the power of the ute. And in this case, the Isuzu Ute’s D-Max seven-seat sibling, the mysteriously named MU-X.

The two models have cemented Isuzu’s name on 4x4 shopper’s must-have lists, pushing 27,155 sales in the year-to-date September 2022 figures (Nissan, by the way, found 20,989 new buyers) as Australians found utes and high-riding 4x4 wagons an inspirational ladder to adventure in their own shopping centre car park.

Truthfully, Isuzus are not generally purchased by people who prefer just to be seen rather than actually doing something. Lacing Australia’s outback are lots of Isuzu utes and wagons towing caravans or hauling loads while in the suburbs, visible commercial applications show the brand is a preferred workhorse by various trades.

Isuzu has this year sold 7911 MU-X variants, representing 29 per cent of Isuzu’s total audience. It outsells the Ford equivalent, the Everest that has sold 6805 this year to date and which represents a more modest 17.5 per cent of the combined sales of the Ranger-based ute and wagon.

I have no idea why, but go bush and there are more MU-Xs on the lonely roads than Everests. 

By comparison with the previous generation MU-X, this latest edition is substantially safer, more comfortable and quieter, is more entertaining, has a bit more oomph and is subjectively prettier, even though its tall tail looks a bit like a school bus.

The MU-X is aimed at families that would like the ability to haul seven people but also for tourers who want security to store their effects. 

One problem with a ute is, of course, that carting personal goods is generally left to the tray which is open to the potential of light fingers. With an MU-X all that cargo and towing ability is in a closed-roof vehicle. 

Typical of its genre, the MU-X stands tall – although 35mm lower than its predecessor – to pick up all the benefits of visibility and passenger headroom.

By comparison, it is shorter and lower than the Ford Everest, and has a bigger luggage area that is 311 litres with the three rows in place (Everest is 249 litres); 1119 litres with the third row flat (876 litres for the Everest); and 2138 litres with only the front seats in situ (1796L for the Ford).

You’d appreciate the electric tailgate operation and the fact the third row is quite easy to erect and collapse. The spare wheel is under the chassis and so doesn’t interrupt the load.

Although there’s only a mere 10mm added to the wheelbase compared with the old model, legroom in the centre seat has grown from average to adult size. The third row is still best for kids but I (at 1.77m) went for a reasonably pleasant ride and didn’t find it too cramped. OK, so it was a short ride.

On safety, it leapfrogs the old model, which even on a good day had limited crash-avoidance tech. 

Standard fare now includes Isuzu’s driver-assistance pack including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure prevention and lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear park sensors (rear only on the base model), rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, eight airbags, and two sets of ISOFIX mounts and three top-tether anchors for child seats, plus a lot more including trailer sway control for its target market.

It sits on a ladder chassis and has a 3.0-litre inline four-cylinder turbo-diesel with six-speed automatic transmission, while externally the 2022 model-year MU-X is a fraction longer, a bit wider and lower than before.

For tradies and tourers alike, there’s a 3500kg tow rating (up from 3000kg) and a bigger 80-litre fuel tank (previously 65 litres) although Isuzu claims the newbie is a tad thirstier with an 8.3 litres per 100km average, up from 7.9 L/100km.

Oh, and it’s more expensive. The top-line LS-T tested here is now $67,400 plus on-road costs, up from the last price of the previous LS-T of $65,900 + ORC.

Driving impressions

The latest-gen Isuzu Ute MU-X wagon – in all its variants, not least the top-shelf LS-T tested here – is a stretched leap from its predecessor. It now competes head-on with its natural rivals, a subtle reference to the fact that the old model was a long way down the line and trounced in terms of equipment, safety tech and convenience by pretty much all its rivals.

Why it was so popular despite being clearly behind the eight-ball (and if there was one, probably the 18-ball) is because it was tough, durable and aimed at buyers who wanted reliability over pretty much everything else.

Now they can have all the benefits of modern safety tech and a high ANCAP score with a pretty good audio system, comfy seats and the ability to tow a caravan (or boat or trailer) that’s 500kg heavier thanks to the uptick in towing to 3500kg.

The big wagon feels competent and surefooted on the road, comfortable at 110km/h as a touring car and pleasantly muted of engine and tyre noise, though it can get up a perky whistle from around the mirrors just to keep occupants entertained.

You appreciate its 2.2-tonne (dry) weight at the first turn of the country road but it’s well tied down, with good steering response via the large wheel, and confident all-wheel disc brakes (the D-Max ute gets rear drums). 

Some of the surety is attributed to its coil-suspended rear live axle (the ute has leaf springs) but more so to the stronger body and lighter ladder frame. The back end’s suspension also underwent a complete design overhaul for this generation with bigger rollbars and new spring rates that are designed to boost articulation while making the wagon more secure on the road.

It is certainly a leisurely country mount, the only difference being in urban areas where diesel grumble is more noticeable as it tends to live at lower revs, and the biggish 11.6m turning circle.

There is also a step up – literally – from most other vehicles that can get a bit tiresome for those not as youthful and agile as others. That said, the front seats are comfy and the view quite commanding.

Power comes from a reworked version of the predecessor’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel and is shared with the D-Max, now cranking out 140kW/450Nm. This drives a six-speed auto and then to an electro-magnetic rear diff lock (a first for the MU-X) for off-roading.

In the dirt it is more capable than before, a product of the lift in wheel travel and the diff lock, but also because of the “rough terrain mode” that is calibrated for various off-road conditions.

There’s been some beefing up of the CV joints, transfer case shafts and more underbody protection – all good news for the owners who plan to get this car dirty.

In other changes, the 17-inch wheel is no longer with 18, 19 and – on the LS-T – 20-inch rims now on offer. There is, of course, a full-size spare.

Overall, the MU-X is still one tough cookie. It has a sense of strength that has been carefully clothed in a prettier body and more comfortable interior that broadens its appeal.

There are some heavyweight rivals but thanks to the safety and tow rating upgrades, this is still one serious wagon that can’t be ignored.

Add in good brand support and even a club to get like-minded owners out into the county – gotta love that customer interaction.