Isuzu mu-X 4-wheel drive Road Test Review

External Design and Features of Isuzu mu-X

The Isuzu mu-X has a very clean, yet bold looking demeanour. The vehicle looks muscular from all angles. The company says the design is inspired by the Tiger. In front you have the shiny double slat chrome grille. A two-tone front and rear bumpers add to the aggressive looks of the vehicle. The vehicle stands tall on multi-spoke 17 inches diamond-cut alloy wheels. Crowning these wheels are muscular flared wheel arches. The projector headlamps give this huge vehicle its strong eyes. The headlamps come with daytime LED lights, while there are fog lamps also for this vehicle.  

Enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the vehicle are the roof rails that also carry loads up to 60kg. At the rear is a roof spoiler which improves the aerodynamic character of the vehicle. Mounted on its middle is a brake light. While the front has a bold design, the rear too carries forward this character beyond the D-pillar where the rear windscreen seems to be spreading its wings. Broad side steps enable passengers easy entry and exit. These also protect the body sides from minor scratches. The vehicle comes with electrically adjustable and retractable body coloured ORVMs. The Isuzu mu-X is big in size. It is 4825mm long, 1860 mm wide and 1840 mm tall.

Internal Design and Features of Isuzu mu-X

There is something very masculine about the interiors of the mu-X. It’s subtle, practical and yet not overloaded with technology. The interiors are spacious too. There is ample room inside the cabin in all three rows with extremely comfortable seating for 7 persons. The third row has adequate knee room and headroom for seating 2 adults but it can get a tad bit cramped if you are taller than 5'7”.

The Isuzu mu-X comes with power adjusted driver seat, 7 inch touch screen infotainment with navigation and connectivity for USB, AUX and Bluetooth, steering mounted controls, roof mounted 10 inch entertainment screen for 2nd & 3rd row, automatic climate control, 3-row cooling with separate controls for the 2nd & 3rd rows, passive entry and Start/ Stop button ignition, cruise control and one touch easy tumble seats for the second row.

All these features enhance the comfort and convenience of the passengers. Isuzu has added plenty of cubby holes and storage space throughout the cabin. Sadly, the steering is adjustable only for rake and not for reach. The mu-X has a boot space of 235 litres which isn't something to be too proud of, but that is with all three rows up. The boot space can be extended to 1830 litres which is quite a bit. Even with just the third row folded flat one gets 878 litres of storage space.

Engine & Performance of Isuzu mu-X

The mu-X is powered by a 3.0 litre, 4 cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine. This 4 cylinder mill is good for 174 plus horses and whips up a beastly 380Nm of torque. Peak power comes in at 3600rpm while peak torque lasts from 1800-2800rpm. The engine has been mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. No manual transmission is being offered in either of the variants. The mu-X comes in two variants: 2-Wheel drive and 4-wheel drive. We drove the latter

 Isuzu is offering this transmission with a shift lock function and the driver can also manually select gears. What is more, you can select between 2WD High to 4WD High on the fly upto a speed of 100kmph. This transmission also offers brake shift lock and lock up torque converter on the 3rd, 4th and 5th gears for fuel saving. It also holds the gear on varied gradient ascents and automatically selects a gear on descents to match speed with engine braking. All of this simply adds to this SUV's capability and convenience, I personally did not feel the need for a manual box.

The suspension setup on the Isuzu mu-X is what thoroughly impressed me. Driving over bad roads, broken tarmac or just over rubble, the suspension gobbles up all undulations with ease, absorbing most of the shocks and jolts.

Flooring the accelerator will give you the feeling of a 'Baahubali' flexing his muscles. The 3.0 litre Hercules sitting under the hood will roar as the mu-X surges forward. The punchy response from the engine ensures a very spirited and peppy drive on highways and smooth up-shifts cater to a jolt-free ride. In the city the ride is quite smooth and carefree. Take the mu-X on a broken path or down a slushy slope, this SUV will not disappoint you. The ground clearance of this SUV stands at 220mm and it gets a 30.1 degree approach angle which also happens to be the best in the segment. The mu-X has a departure angle of 25.1 degrees and a gradability of 30 degrees. To those who don't make much of these figures, I shall be plain in saying the mu-X is immensely capable off-road as well.

Be it crawling over rocks or small boulders, driving over gravel or through slush, the mu-X will take all in its stride without even flinching once. The mu-X comes with features such as ABS with EBD, Traction Control System and Electronic Stability Control. With all these driver aides kicking in at just the right time, the Isuzu mu-X also proves to be a very safe ride on and off tarmac. Noise insulation in the cabin needs to be improved though.

Safety features of Isuzu mu-X

The vehicle comes with discs on all four wheels. While the rear ones are larger measuring 318mm the front discs measure 300mm. Braking is progressive and inspires a lot of confidence. Even over loose surfaces we found panic braking to be quite effective with the 4 channel - 4 sensor ABS working spot on. Isuzu has also added EBA (Emergency Brake Assist), 2 Airbags, Hill Start Assist, 3 Point retractable seatbelts with an emergency locking retractor, anti intrusion bars in the doors and many more functions to ensure the safety of occupants.

Verdict

The mu-X is indeed the “Baahubali” of SUVs and has a lot to offer in terms of features, safety and technology. It gets the right blend of materials with excellent fit and finish. Not just its behemoth proportions, but even its capability off the beaten path will surely impress you.