Somewhere between all those hideously expensive luxury SUV’s and the oh-so trendy compact crossovers lives a whole horde of bakkie-based rustic 4×4’s with seven seats. We tested the face-lifted Isuzu offering.
Isuzu? Yip. The makers of those noisy but hardy farm pick-ups have not just modernised their legendary KB slash D-Max range, they also threw this three-row wagon into the mix. Although the two are not identical siblings, this mu-X shares quite a few components with any contemporary Isuzu D-Max bakkie.
Like what? For starters, the 3-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine worth 130kW or 380Nm. This rough but ready power plant is your only choice, as is a butter-smooth six-speed automatic gearbox. There’s a 2WD or 4WD option; as well as an optional (self-engaging mechanical) rear differential lock.
What else? Some bits of the interior are shared with neefie D-Max, like the new-fangled touchy-swipey media screen which offers traditional or digital radio playback, Bluetooth, USB, HDMI, Aux, as well as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Other goodies include power everything, various remote or keyless controls, pleather trim and climate control.
Watch out for: Performance is on the leisurely side, handling is not up to modern standards and the claimed average fuel figure will be hard to hit in daily conditions. By the way, in my limited experience that also goes for every single one of the mu-X’s competitors; there are compromises to be made for their rugged characters.
The good stuff: Isuzu’s mu-X is well-priced around the 700k mark because an equivalent Ford or Toyota will cost a good few bob more. Specification levels are fairly even between the competitors unless dash design or screen resolution is a deal-breaker to you.
Here is a handy little table for your information:
| Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4 DiD 4×4 | Isuzu mu-X 3.0 AWD | Ford Everest 2.0 BiTDi XLT | Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD6 4×4 |
| 2.4 i-4 TDi | 3.0 i-4 TDi | 2.0 i-4 BiTDi | 2.8 i-4 TDi |
| 8-speed Auto | 6-speed Auto | 10-speed Auto | 6-speed Auto |
| 133kW / 430Nm | 130kW / 380Nm | 157kW / 500Nm | 150kW / 500Nm |
| 8.1L/100km | 7.9L/100km | 7.6L/100km | 7.9L/100km |
| 3yr/100k warranty | 5yr/120k warranty | 4yr/120k warranty | 3yr/100k warranty |
| 5yr/90k service plan | 5yr/90k service plan | 6yr/90k service plan | 9 services / 90k plan |
| ZAR 659,995 | ZAR 712,200* | ZAR 744,500 | ZAR 770,400 |
Summary: Ignoring the space-ship Mitsubishi for now, Isuzu’s mu-X 3.0 AWD offers great value, superb space, a fair degree of comfort while feeling pretty robust over urban roads and rough stuff alike. Isuzu lists 24 dealers in South Africa and six in Namibia. Best you pay them a visit for a test drive!
FULL SPECLIST
| Engine: | 3L i-4 turbo-diesel |
| Transmission: | 6-speed Automatic, AWD |
| Max. Power: | 130kW |
| Max. Torque: | 380Nm |
| Avg cons.: | Claimed 7.8L/100km |
| 0-100km/h: | 11.28 seconds (no claim) |
| Top Speed: | Unknown |
| List Price: | R666,500 |
