The mu-X is Isuzu's D-MAX-based, seven-seater SUV. It competes with the Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and the Ford Everest. In May 2020, the mu-X underwent a mild facelift which also included additional interior mod-cons and a smidgen of extra safety equipment. Was the upgrade well worth it? We drove to the Middle of Nowhere to find out.
Styling
On the previous mu-X, designers were a little overzealous with the exterior chrome bits, but overall, the facelift has toned this down with more black detailing so that the mu-X looks more rugged and less concerned with its appearance. The tail light clusters have also been revised for a more contemporary visage, and if you look carefully, you'll notice small details such as the new glossy black finish for the side steps (visible on a clean mu-X). The 18-inch gloss black diamond-cut alloy wheels are new as well.
Related: New Isuzu mu-X upgrade and facelift for 2020; What's different?
Interior
On the inside, there's plenty more glossy piano black and soft-touch surfaces everywhere. The layout stays unchanged; the enhancement of is more of a general upliftment of the ambience for a more upmarket feel. And speaking of ambience, there's new ambient lighting in the doors. It's no Audi Q7 or Lexus RX, but it's a highly comfortable cabin that feels solidly put-together and actually quite luxurious.
Our test model came with the larger (optional) Alpine touchscreen which is probably not the user-friendliest on its own, but once you plug in your iPhone, the system becomes seamless. If you spec this system, sat-nav is a standard feature.
Space and comfort features
The driver's seat is electronically adjustable and once you've found your ideal position, you'll feel well-supported for hours on end. A leather steering wheel with satellite buttons allows the driver to keep his eyes on the road ahead. Soft leather seats (standard) with white top-stitching make for a comfortable journey, even more so because the second row's seat backs can recline.
The front passenger area boasts dual cubby holes (the top one has a cooling function) and pop-out cup holders on either side of the front occupants. The large and deep central armrest cubby will fit a medium-sized camera bag as well additional loose items. Large door binnacles all the way to the rearmost seats ensure that everyone can keep their drinks and miscellaneous items close by.
The cargo area is large, but we found that if you do go away for a family weekend away and it's camping or self-catering, there's not enough space if the rearmost row of seats is in use. My two kids were disappointed as the younger one likes to ride in the third row by himself and the teenager likes to have him out of her hair while she's on the second row, but now they had to share, like a "normal" family with a five-seater car, poor dears (!). Should you need to use the third row of seats, you had better pack wisely. I should add that the mu-X offers more or less the same amount of boot space as its rivals. Underfloor storage for the boot is available as well.
The second row allows plenty of room for stretching out and the additional USB port at the back of the central armrest cubby kept everyone's devices charged up. (Up front you'll also find a USB port underneath the climate controls.) The kids also had access to their own air vents, and even the third row has its own set of designated air outlets.
The drive
We set off mid-Saturday morning, thinking that we would have ample time to get to Kromrivier Cederberg Park before dawn. We opted for the scenic route from Hermanus to Ceres and then into the Cederberg, but didn't quite realize the amount of dirt road driving we would do, which was very time-consuming, not to mention the time spent getting out of the car and enjoying the spring scenery and all the wildflowers in full bloom. We also travelled in convoy - us in the mu-X, and my two brothers in the Toyota Fortuner. They were in a bit of a hurry, thankfully, because if we had journeyed according to our own time schedule we would have arrived even later.
Only by 4pm did we reach Wupperthal and from there onwards, it's one rocky mountain pass after the other. We deflated our mu-X's tyres from 2.5 bar to 1.6, and set off slowly and steadily across Eselbank Pass, which is so high and narrow that the going was even slower. After the Eselbank Pass there was also the track to Matjiesrivier, where a four-wheel-drive vehicle with good ground clearance is recommended. The mu-X felt comfortable and secure over the loose, round rocks and dirt, and had no issues at all, as we had expected. Now that the tyres weren't so hard anymore, everyone on board rode even more comfortably. The mu-X can be shifted from 2H to 4H on the fly, so if you're on tar and you suddenly find yourself on gravel and vice versa, you don't need to stop the vehicle.
Power and fuel efficiency
The 3.0-litre engine does a satisfactory job of lugging along the gargantuan mu-X, which has a kerb weight of two tonnes. When fully loaded and going uphill, the mu-X's acceleration isn't quite as brisk, but for day-to-day life in the suburbs, it's hard to fault. It's also rather light on diesel considering how big and heavy it is. By the time we drove it back to Cape Town, we were getting 10.5 kilometres per litre, which is an impressive 9.5 litres per 100 km. Just remember that the mu-X isn't a vehicle that you drive till it's empty, and if plan on going off-road or making a mission into the great unknown, ensure that you have extra diesel on hand and that you have a sufficient amount of range left.
Safety features
The mu-X is well-equipped and active safety features include ABS, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control (TCS), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Hill Descent Control (HDC) which can be engaged when you're driving down the side of a mountain or steep hill and in 4x4 low-range.
There are six airbags, and the cabin is built from high-tensile steel that is resistant to collision damage. With the facelift in May, Isuzu added a brake override system derived from the D-MAX Bakkie. This system is linked to the ABS, and is said to "restrict accelerator input if the brakes are applied at the same time, thereby reducing the vehicle’s stopping distance in an emergency."
The mu-X has LED daytime running lights and bi-LED projector headlamps with an auto-levelling function so you can see and be seen better as well.
Pricing
The mu-X was never aimed at the budget segment at the market, and is priced similarly to other prominent body-on-frame SUVs, such as the Fortuner and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. The 3.0 4WD mu-X is priced at R712 200 while the Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 4x4 Epic is priced at R743 600. The freshly-face-lifted, highly capable Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4DI-D 4x4 comes in at R659 995, which is R83 605 less than the aforementioned Fortuner.
Related: New vs. used Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: What are the top 3 differences?
From the Ford stables, there are a quite a few Everests with all-wheel drive that compete with the mu-X and its above-mentioned rivals: The Ford Everest 2.0SiT 4WD XLT, R679 400, The Everest 3.2TDCi 4WD XLT, R715 300, and the Everest 2.0Bi-Turbo 4WD XLT, 744 500. From an affordability perspective, the 2.0SiT 4WD XLT at R679 400 packs a real value punch. Don't be fooled by the seemingly small 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine; with 132kW and 420Nm, it is not only quieter and more refined, it also has more torque than the mu-X which has a 3.0-litre engine with 130kW and 380Nm. This Everest also has a ten-speed automatic gearbox and an array of off-road settings.
Related: Ford Everest vs. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs. Toyota Fortuner (2019)
Verdict
By the time we arrived at the scenic Kromrivier Cederberg Park after driving for nearly seven hours, neither me nor my hubby nor the kids felt fatigued, stiff, irritable or stressed. We immediately got the massive fireplace started, poured ourselves a glass of locally-produced red wine, and discussed the day's events and the mu-X's performance on every imaginable road surface.
The mu-X didn't flinch for a moment, not even when we waded through deep pools of rain water and thick mud. Ride quality is excellent. Sure, there's body roll, and you are aware of the mu-X's heft, given its sheer size and length. But, everyone had a marvellous journey, and we weren't deterred at all by the fact that we'd have to drive all the way back home again the next day. The consensus? The mu-X will suit any adventure-loving family exceedingly well.
Recommended next
Buying used? Read our review on the pre-facelift mu-X here: Mister Practicality
Isuzu D-MAX road-trip review: Suzy goes to the Cederberg
