By Rebaneilwe Semakane
When I hear the term “bakkie-based,” I die a little inside. I am immediately anticipating a cumbersome and sluggish vehicle to drive. Yet, the Isuzu MU-X does not fully encompass these traits. Instead, the MU-X lands firmly between ‘not bad’ and ‘kinda amazing’. Here’s why.
Exterior
You’ve seen this car’s predecessor and the new one is a huge improvement over that model. It looks modern, sleek and stylish, especially with those boomerang-shaped Bi-LED headlights. The Santos Brown colour it has been finished in does look a little bland, and even more odd when there’s dirt on it. Overall, the car looks stunning, and arguably better than most of its stablemates.
Interior
The interior is great albeit feeling a little dated – weird considering that this is a new model, but it feels significantly better to the touch than a Toyota Fortuner. The leathers are good, plastics are decent, and the touchscreen infotainment system is nice to tinker with, but I did feel as though those volume buttons that you press are just abysmal to use. I need a conventional swivel knob for the volume function. I felt like I was in a Datsun – so, Isuzu, no. It is a wonderfully crafted cabin nonetheless, and the hazards button being slotted right into the dashboard was a new experience, not sure if I am liking it too much – it is quite concealed. On a comfort scale, I think its super comfortable, seats look and feel plush and its pleasant to sit in. The boot space is amazing, only had the third row down during the week, so my goods sat in there perfectly.
The drive
The Isuzu MU-X 3.0 now has a 3.0l turbodiesel engine which produces 140kW/450Nm, mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The Fortuner has slightly higher figures (150kW/500Nm), but the MU-X felt nicer to drive for me, personally. There was a lot of jerky gear changes in the Fortuner which I did not experience with this and driving it felt cumbersome for me. The MU-X carries itself well, and if you want to put your foot down to overtake, it responds promptly. There is some wind noise coming through as you drive, but the vehicle does not feel poorly made at all. Over the week, I averaged about 9l/100km. Upon arrival it gave me an estimated range of 965km – I achieved that before the fuel light went on.
In such a tough segment, you are spoiled for choice and must decide on some of South Africa’s favourites, the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest. Having driven all three, the MU-X and Everest are my current top two, based on looks, drive, interior feel, and practicality. However, priced at R850,500, I do think it is expensive, but if you are willing to stray from the conventional 7-seater SUV’s, this is your guy. Isuzu has made immense improvements to its vehicles, which is commendable.
MORE ABOUT REBA
Rebaneilwe Semakane is a motoring enthusiast, journalist and lifestyle content creator with over three years experience. She has contributed to media houses such as PowerFM, Ignition TV and SAfm. Her focus is on providing consumer-oriented reviews with a lifestyle element, to add to the visual appeal of vehicles and the car buying market.