Announced back in March as being in-line for a series of upgrades, Isuzu has now detailed the changes to its seven-seat MU-X.
What has changed?
On-sale locally since last year, but revealed in its home market of Thailand in 2024 as the first update of the second generation model that has been available since 2020, the latest revisions are only specification related.
Unlike the D-Max made at the Straundale plant in the Eastern Cape, the MU-X will remain an imported product similar to its other rivals, the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Mahindra Scorpio-N.
Of the enhancements, all variants now have follow-me-home headlights, while the top-spec Onyx XT receives Traffic Sign Recognition, an improved Adaptive Cruise Control system and a USB port for a dashcam.
No 2.2
As before, three trim variants are offered; LS, LSE and Onyx XT, with the same engines as before; the 1.9-litre RZ4E-TC that makes 110kW/350Nm, and the 3.0-litre 4JJ3-TCX that pushes out 140kW/450Nm.
Ruled out for now as a result of local testing that needs to be done first, is the new 2.2-litre RZ4F Max Force unit that outputs 120kW/400Nm.
The absence of the latter further expands to the new eight-speed automatic gearbox, meaning the MU-X continues with the existing six-speed self-shifter across all variants.
Rear-wheel drive is, again, standard on the 1.9, with four-wheel drive available on LS and LSE versions of the 3.0-litre, and standard on the Onyx XT.
Fundamentals
As before, the MU-X has a claimed wading depth of 800 mm, ground clearance of 235 mm, approach angle of 30-degrees, departure angle of 26-degress breakover angle of 24-degrees.
The claimed tow rating is 2 100 kg for the 1.9 and 3 500 kg for the 3.0-litre.
Spec
On the spec front, the LS has the following as standard:
- 18-inch alloy wheels;
- auto-levelling bi-LED headlights;
- folding electric mirrors;
- rain sense wipers;
- LED fog lamps;
- side-steps;
- roof rails;
- imitation partial leather upholstery;
- multi-function steering wheel;
- push-button start;
- seven-inch TFT instrument cluster display;
- electric front seats;
- nine-inch infotainment display;
- wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto;
- two USB ports;
- cruise control;
- seven airbags;
- front and rear parking sensors;
- trailer sway control;
- Multi-Collision Braking;
- Brake Override Control;
- Hill Start Assist;
- Hill Descent Control
A rear diff-lock is standard across variants, while an electric tailgate included on all 3.0-litre models.
Up next, the LSE swaps the LS’ air-conditioning for dual-zone climate control, the rear-view camera for a 360-degree setup and the six-speaker sound system for an eight-speaker audio.
Additional standard items include:
- remote engine start;
- paddle shifters;
- leather-trimmed steering wheel;
- tyre pressure monitor;
- auto-dimming rear-view mirror;
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert;
- Blind Spot Monitoring
At the range’s summit, the Onyx XT adds to the LSE in the form of ambient lighting, heated front seats, red stitch work on the seats, gloss black exterior accents and 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels.
Additional safety and driver assistance systems include:
- Auto High Beam Assist;
- Automatic Emergency Braking;
- Multi-Stage Collision Braking;
- Driver Attention Alert;
- Lane Keep Assist;
- Forward Collision Warning;
- Reverse Automatic Braking;
- Pedal Misapplication Mitigation;
- Lane Departure Warning
Colours
In total, the LS and LSE have eight colour options:
- Splash White;
- Onyx Black;
- Eiger Grey;
- Dolomite White;
- Mercury Silver;
- Obsidian Grey;
- Biarritz Blue;
- Red Spinel
Reserved for the Onyx XT are:
- Dolomite White;
- Onyx Black;
- Mercury Silver;
- Eiger Grey
Price
As before, all MU-X variants are covered by a five-year/120 000 km warranty as well as a five-year/90 000 km service plan.
- MU-X 1.9 DDI LS AT – R752 300
- MU-X 3.0 DDI LS AT – R852 600
- MU-X 3.0 DDI LS 4×4 AT – R939 500
- MU-X 3.0 DDI LSE AT – R886 700
- MU-X 3.0 DDI LSE 4×4 AT – R973 700
- MU-X 3.0 DDI Onyx XT 4×4 AT – R1 026 800
