Isuzu mu-X (2024) Quick Review

Isuzu's D-Max-based seven-seater SUV, the mu-X, has been around since 2018. Still, the latest facelift in 2023 added some additional goodies to ensure it offered buyers an excellent value proposition. Isuzu also added a 1.9-litre turbodiesel model for those who need a practical daily driver who can also take over lighter towing duties on weekends and cart the family around.

I recently had the pleasure of piloting the flagship 3.0TD Onyx model (in blue) and the second-from-the-top 3.0 TD LSE model (in silver), both in a 4x4 guise.

Meet the flagship Onyx model!

Styling

You would have to be an Isuzu expert to notice the last couple of exterior changes; the brand replaced the Tungsten Silver exterior trim bits with dark Magnetite, the Onyx model got a new 20-inch wheel design, and the lower-spec models have 18-inch alloys. 

The top-tier Onyx is fetching Norwegian Blue.

Overall, the mu-X appears confident and muscular, without any unnecessary shiny accoutrements. This resonates with those who don't need to prove themselves or keep up with the Joneses.

LS and LSE models have a slightly more demure wheel design with thicker rubber.

Interior

Not much is different here either, apart from the new Magnetite trim on the dash and in the doors - it's still the same robust quality and practical layout with glossy black details and plentiful storage cubbies in all the right places. All buttons in the cabin and on the steering wheel are neatly and logically arranged, and you'll never find yourself looking for things - everything is just right! 

The dashboard and centre console in the mu-X (seen here is the LSE model), is well-organised and of good quality.

Space and Comfort

All mu-X models now boast fully electric front seats and full leather trim throughout the cabin, making things a lot easier for parents of messy kids and wet dogs. Rear privacy glass was also added to keep occupants cool and prevent nosey parkers from checking out what's hiding inside your SUV.

The Onyx model's steering wheel has additional buttons for the adaptive cruise control functionality.

With the most recent update, the LSE model received steering-mounted gearshift paddles and an electrochromatic rear-view mirror, while the Onyx model got added extras like heated front seats to warm up chilly behinds on chilly mornings. Both models have a 9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; in fact, only the LS models have to make do with a 7.0-inch touchscreen.

This is available on all mu-X models.

Second-row passengers can access two USB-C ports and a two-point plug where a laptop can be charged, and seat backs can recline. Access to the rearmost seats is quick and easy. You just fold them down by pulling a lever and shimmy right over, even though they're a bit cramped, as with all SUVs of this ilk. On the plus side, even when the third-row seats are upright, there's still a fair amount of room for your kids' school bags.

Rear legroom in the mu-X is ample.

A new feature in the LSE and Onyx is the hands-free tailgate that allows you to open the boot with the swing of a foot if your arms are full of Woollies bags.

View the exhaustive list of features in the ONYX model here and the LSE model here.

Protective carpets keep the boot looking better for longer, and look at all that space!

The Drive

The mu-X shines in this department with a quiet cabin, soft and pliant suspension that floats over irregularities in the road as if it were a magic carpet and an eager powerplant that has the grunt when needed but doesn't make fuel usage skyrocket. Even better than driving on the tarmac is taking the mu-X on off-road excursions.

Switching from RWD to AWD 'on the fly' is not new, but the system engages quickly, and once you're locked into 4H, you can just let rip and let the mu-X gobble up the dirt roads. We preferred the smaller, higher-sidewalled 18-inch wheels of the LSE model, but the Onyx's 20-inch wheels didn't flinch either. Normally, you would have to have some weight in the rear of a vehicle like this for a more stable feeling on gravel, but not in this case, putting many other cars in this segment to shame.

Related: Are Isuzus good first cars?

The suspension has been masterfully executed in the mu-X.

In Onyx trim, there are a whole host of driving assistants available, such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assistance, but I usually don't use them unless they're absolutely perfect and smoothly steer around gentle bends without too much driver intervention. In this case, I just tested one, but it wasn't quite as good as I had hoped it would be.

2023 Isuzu mu-X launch report

Meet your new gravel buddy! The mu-X loves unsettled surfaces.

The LSE model is also well-equipped with modern safety features such as a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert, so you don't really need all that other stuff, which only hikes up the price. 

Performance

The 3.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine (140kW/450Nm) and 6-speed automatic transmission work perfectly. The gearbox shifts imperceptibly, ensuring smooth, linear power delivery without hesitation. Behind the wheel, you'll barely notice the gear shifts as the engine effortlessly delivers power; it's just in the background, faithfully doing its thing.

The braked towing capacity for both models is rated at 3 500kg.

Large, but still shapely.

Fuel Consumption

We don't know how Isuzu manages to do it, but their engines are terrifically frugal, even though the mu-X is a bit of a chonk with a tare weight of 2 090 kg. (Tare weight or mass is the weight of a vehicle when it's empty, including all standard equipment, but without any additional load.)

Even in the heavy school traffic, it still showed an average of 13.3 km per litre, or 7.52 L/100km!

You'll always be up for a road trip in a car with fuel economy like this.

Safety

The Isuzu mu-X (in LSE trim) is equipped with a mammoth list of safety features, including ABS, EBD, brake assist, a brake override system, electronic stability control, hill-start assist, hill-descent control, trailer sway control, a multi-collision braking system, 7 airbags, side-impact bars, a collapsible steering column, Isofix child-seat anchors, a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, an emergency stop signal, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Onyx model looks great in the golden hours.

The Onyx further enhances safety with autonomous emergency braking, high-beam assistance, forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure prevention, 8 airbags, and driver attention monitoring.

Price

The mu-X 3.0TD LSE 4x4 costs R959 800, while the mu-X 3.0TD Onyx 4x4 costs R978 200.

The rest of the lineup looks like this:

mu-X 1.9TD LS, R736 900

mu-X 3.0TD LS, R836 600

mu-X 3.0TD LSE, R874 100

mu-X 3.0TD LS 4x4, R922 300

This 2022 Isuxu mu-X model will be ideal if a new model is out of your financial reach.

Competitors

The usual suspects in this segment include the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and GWM Tank 300.

Check out our running cost shootout between the Ford Everest, mu-X and Toyota Fortuner.

It's a tough market segment, but the mu-X really delivers.

The Verdict

Driving both SUVs back-to-back made me realise you don't need the flagship model at all. The LSE model will be fabulous enough—unless you want to save a bunch of money and get the well-equipped LS model instead! In this article, I unpack what your money buys you if you opt for the most affordable model.

So, if you're keen on a dependable, economical SUV (with all the creature comforts) that drives like a dream, the mu-X range won't disappoint.

Buying used? Read VW Tiguan Allspace vs Ford Everest vs Isuzu mu-X (2021)