Isuzu MU-X First Drive Review

Why I would avoid the MU-X: I wouldn’t buy it because there’s nothing special about it. The competition is better at almost everything.  

The Isuzu MU-X is a new D-segment SUV from the young brand. It replaces the MU-7 in their lineup and has been brought in as their luxury offering for the Indian market. Sharing many similarities with the erstwhile Chevrolet Trailblazer, this is the Japanese automaker’s rival for the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour.

The MU-X’s fascia is big and chrome-loaded with all the SUV traits like the high bonnet and sharp muscular lines on the bumpers. The sides get heavily flared wheel arches and thick c-pillars. The rear is high and wide but a bit drab as there are very few visual elements. The car we have driven is a pre-facelift version and was launched in 2013.

It’s a big vehicle, this, and the massive size inside is further enhanced by the beige and black colour combination. This is one of the few selling points for this SUV as you get sufficient room inside across all three rows but little else.  

For a price range like this, features are pretty basic. They include climate control with vents for the second and third rows, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, steering mounted audio controls, three 12V sockets and a driver’s arm rest with a cubby hole. There is a touchscreen system with a small display and it is of very basic nature and lacks visual appeal and features. Its USP of course is a 10-inch screen for the second and third rows.

The seats while offering sufficient padding are placed low due to the ladder frame design and this has resulted in lack of under thigh support.      

Otherwise everything feels dated. If Isuzu had brought in this vehicle two years ago to match the Fortuner it would have actually passed the litmus test. The quality of plastics used, while consistent, is hardwearing. That is mostly because the competition has moved quite a bit ahead.  In terms of storage space, you get 1.0-litre bottle spaces on all the doors, three glove boxes and a plethora of cup holders.  The boot opening is wide and high, making it easy for loading up luggage.  

Powering the MU-X is a 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine producing 173bhp/380Nm of torque with power going to the wheels via a five-speed automatic and an all-wheel drive system. It’s an old school diesel engine that likes to take its time to things done. But unlike the engines in its counterparts, this mill is not harsh or clattery. Instead it makes a great big racket like a slow moving thundercloud when pushed to work faster. The torque band comes in a shade under the 1900rpm mark and from there it is a linear surge all the way past the 3300rpm mark after which it starts to taper off.

Given that the concentration of a large part of the torque is in the lower end, the vehicle does start to feel out breath past 120kmph. At low speeds, the movement is jerky due to the turbo lag and to inch forward, you will have to dab the throttle. In a bid to improve economy, the engine goes into coast mode when you get off the throttle and there is a manual mode which offers engine braking but even that is not all that effective and you will have to plan your slowdowns well in advance. Our testing data reveals that the MU-X did the 0-100kmph sprint in 12.15 seconds while the 20kmph to 80kmph kickdown took 7.5 seconds and the 40kmph to 100kmph took 9.35 seconds.

The MU-X has a ladder-on-frame underpinning. Softly sprung and towering many centimeters above the ground it has a comfortable low speed ride that absorbs bumps and imperfections without much fuss. However, if you do end up unsettling the car through an imperfection, the rear takes longer than the front to settle down due to unequal weight distribution.

Given its relative size, 2.1-tonne mass and soft suspension setup, the MU-X does not like to be hustled around. It rolls through the corners in a significant way and will not respond well to sudden direction changes. This is also aided by the fact that the steering is overly assisted and requires four-turns to go from lock to lock, making it a bit of a task to even take a U-turn.

While we didn’t get to test out the MU-X’s off-road capabilities, it does look pretty decent. In this 4x4 variant you get a shift-on the-fly, torque-on-demand AWD system, low range gearbox, hill descent control, traction control and a stability programme.   

Okay let us be honest, most buyers of this car will usually get chauffeured around, spending maximum time in the front passenger seat or at the back. For them presence and comfort over long journeys will take precedence over driving pleasure and it appears that Isuzu has hit this nail on the head. However, when you look at the competition there is no denying that MU-X has a large hill to climb. It is not an exceptional product and further adding to this is Isuzu’s relative newness in the Indian car market.

The Isuzu MU-X can be had as a 4x2 or a 4x4 and they are priced at Rs 23.99 lakh and Rs 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) respectively. Here it takes on the likes of the Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

Photos: Kapil Angane