2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4×4 review

Once considered the more agricultural option in local markets, Isuzu has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, and the Japanese brand is now offering models that compete with some highly respected rivals.

Its family has now grown to offer nine options in its dual-cab D-Max range and six variants of the mechanically related MU-X large SUV, offering a version for the utilitarian workhorse customer as well as something more premium.

As a result, the new flagship version of its MU-X is, says Isuzu, the highest-specification vehicle the company has ever produced. If that’s not a statement that warrants interest and investigation, we don’t know what does.

When the model launched in its second generation in 2021, the MU-X became a popular option in Australia thanks to a strong pairing of standard equipment and refinement, without sacrificing the ruggedness that many associated with the brand.

For 2023, however, Isuzu has treated the entire D-Max and MU-X line-ups to a light update, which brings worthwhile extra technology and a revision to the exterior looks, but adds nothing to the asking price.

If that’s not enough to pique your interest, then the range-topper we have here is being offered for a limited time at an attractive drive-away price that saves thousands.

In Australia, the MU-X range is available in a choice of three grades and options for 4x2 and 4x4. Opening the range is the LS-M 4x2 from $48,900 plus on-road costs. Adding 4x4 to the same entry variant is an option and costs $6000.

Above that is the $55,400 LS-U 4x2 and $61,400 LS-T 4x2 (before on-road costs), both of which cost another $6000 to have as 4x4 unless you grab the LS-T 4x4 drive-away deal that chops the flagship price down to just $65,990 drive-away. With on-road costs considered, the drive-away deal effectively saves $7129, although the exact saving will depend on which state the model is being sold.

(Isuzu couldn’t say how long the drive-away deal will last, but it was still on offer at the time of writing.)

So while the LS-T might be the most expensive in the range, it offers the best value if your budget will stretch, but let’s not forget about the options.

Isuzu reports that a vast majority of its customers option a towing pack to its cars, and this will add a little to the bottom line if you’re one of them. Ours has been decked out with the most comprehensive towing upgrades including the bar and wiring for a 12-pin connection, as well as an electronic brake controller necessary to get the maximum 3500kg towing rating, costing an extra $2473.

The lovely optional shade of Galaxy Blue topped up the total by another $650, while rubber mats take the options spend to $3363, and with stamp duty the as-tested price ends up as $69,488.

To put that into context, spending the same amount on Ford’s Everest would get you into the one-down-from-top Sport (not the range-topper) and you’d still have to foot the extra costs for towing pack and on-road costs. It’s clear why value is one of the MU-X’s most attractive features.

Like all versions, the 2023 update brought a cool ‘Magnetite’ smoked effect to the grille's bright metal and other exterior trims, and LED combination exterior lighting, while the higher-spec LS-U and LS-T now have tyre pressure monitoring and a hands-free-operating power tailgate as standard.

Kit highlights for the top-of-the-range LS-T also include new-design 20-inch alloy wheels, mostly leather upholstery as well as leather steering wheel, electric front seat adjustment, cool LED interior ambient lighting, and an engine remote-start function to get the heater or air-conditioning going on extreme weather days.

As a large SUV, you might expect space to be one of the MU-X’s selling points, but it really excels here. The cabin is huge in the first two rows of seating and is even large enough to include a third row.

A deep centre storage bin boosts cabin practicality, there’s towering headroom for the first and second rows, while the second-row seats recline for a really relaxed seating position.

There are door pockets with bottle holders all round and, while they are a little skinny, this enhances the feeling of cabin space especially for hip and elbow room in the front rows.

The front seats are also very comfortable with excellent ergonomics, particularly for taller people, and as this is the top-spec version, electric adjustment makes life even more convenient. There’s also heating for both front seats, although the effect is not the most powerful we’ve experienced.

It’s not the biggest offering for occupants in the sixth and seventh seats, but it is certainly ample for kids and short journeys, and usable for adult occupants as long as they can tolerate a cosy amount of headroom.

With all seven seats in place, the boot shrinks to 311L, which is not massive, and even smaller if you tilt the rearmost seats to their most reclined position.

Fold them away, however, and the boot is a gargantuan 1119L, and that grows to 2138L if you can afford to only carry front passengers. The only black mark against the excellent boot volume is that the seats don’t fold to form a fully flat floor with the load area rising gradually toward the front, which may limit the uses for some owners.

The tilt-and-roll stowing of the second row is a great feature that frees up the impressive volume. But unless secured, the stowed bench can slam back into position under acceleration, which startled our perhaps slightly nervous reviewer.

We particularly appreciated the pleasant mood lighting after dark, the part-leather upholstery feels premium and durable, and the padded and upholstered dash segments lift the whole interior feel. Only the presence of some hard plastics on door trims and dash detracted from the otherwise high-quality finish.

When the second-generation MU-X launched, the standard information and entertainment system allowed wireless connection of Apple CarPlay but Android Auto required a hard cable connection.

With the update, Isuzu has not taken the opportunity to update, and the smartphone mirroring options are unchanged. The 9.0-inch touchscreen is also a carryover, as is the standard navigation, and the driver’s instrument cluster remains as a pair of traditional analogue dials flanking a full-colour digital display.

It might be small, but the window contains a surprisingly broad range of information including trip data, vehicle status and control of various settings. The downside is that fitting in such a comprehensive selection has warranted a relatively small font. And a head-up display is not offered on any variant, so make sure you wear your glasses.

While neat and presentable, the central screen's graphics are looking a little dated already and the system takes an extended amount of time to boot after the ignition is switched on.

Digital radio is also included as a standard feature in the information and entertainment system along with an eight-speaker stereo and native navigation.

The MU-X has not been crash-tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP); however, it is sufficiently similar to the D-Max to share the results awarded to its ute sibling in 2020. Supplementing the crash tests, ANCAP carried out additional testing of the MU-X in 2021 and, in combination with the D-Max results, both were awarded the full five-star rating.

The range performed well in numerous categories with high scores in adult and child occupant protection, while features such as autonomous braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection resulted in a high score for safety assistance.

A revised driver’s knee airbag and instrument cluster arrived with all vehicles built after 2022 enhancing driver safety.

With its midlife update, the MU-X gained a revision of standard technology and this includes the addition of tyre pressure monitoring. This adds to the impressive range of standard safety and driver assistance technology headlined by autonomous emergency braking with turn assistance and forward collision warning.

Speed sign recognition, lane-departure warning and assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, trailer-sway control and eight airbags are also included as standard.

Adaptive cruise control is also part of the deal, but in practice it has an unusually broad range of disparity and, when set to 62km/h on a road without traffic, would allow the car to exceed the limit to 64km/h and drop as low as 57km/h – a fluctuation of 8km/h. Sounds like a small point if it weren’t for Victoria police’s notoriously strict enforcement of speed limits.

In response to the number of customers that tow with their MU-X, Isuzu has also redesigned the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to not activate when a trailer is hooked up as part of the 2023 update, which is a clever safety revision that many MU-X owners will appreciate.

Scheduled servicing for the MU-X is due every 15,000km or 12 months. Under Isuzu's seven-year capped price program first visit for planned maintenance will cost $435, while the most expensive servicing attention occurs at 90,000km and costs $799.

The first three years of servicing costs $1545, while the full seven-year deal adds up to $3689.

Every Isuzu is covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty, while capped-price servicing costs and roadside assistance are offered for seven years.

Insuring the MU-X will cost $1759 per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates will vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

With a lot to lug around and efficiency-robbing aerodynamics, some large SUVs can suffer when it comes to fuel economy, but the MU-X is one of the more efficient options. Isuzu claims a figure of 8.3 litres per hundred kilometres, but our test vehicle reported a better figure than that during all the driving duties we threw at it.

On one particular cruise into the city at speeds of up to 80km/h and minimal traffic, the MU-X sipped an impressive 6.9L/100km, and even when the speeds and traffic increased, it still managed to improve on the claimed figure with an overall average of 7.9L/100km.

We only subjected the Isuzu to the lightest of load-lugging duties and the fuel consumption will, of course, increase when loaded up with people and things, but it’s unusual to encounter a vehicle of any type that exceeds the manufacturer's combined claim by a decent margin.

There are more sophisticated large SUVs on the market that offer a more involving and rewarding driving experience, but you’ll certainly pay a premium for an enhancement of what many buyers in the segment put as a fairly low priority.

That said, the MU-X still manages to be a relaxing and easy vehicle to drive. While a little clattery, the 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine produces lots of useful torque for moving about effortlessly or making light work of towing duties.

While the 140kW diesel engine is fuel-efficient and produces a torque output of 450Nm that’s about average in the segment, the full torque figure is produced in a relatively narrow band between 1600–2600rpm. And with only six gears, it's easy for the engine to fall outside its optimum sweet spot, and a more modern gearbox with more ratios would make a big difference. Generally speaking, though, it’s a good stoic match for the four-cylinder and results in a no-nonsense, hardworking drivetrain.

For a vehicle that has a somewhat agricultural reputation, the ride quality is surprisingly good and all occupants will appreciate the relatively low cabin noise levels, comfortable seats for the front two rows' occupants, and a selection of luxury features.

We didn’t take the MU-X far from the beaten track this time, but previous tests have demonstrated the Isuzu’s capability when the road comes to an end. As there are no changes to the drivetrain with the most recent update, the LS-T 4x4’s combination of high- and low-range four-wheel drive, locking rear differential and Rough Terrain off-road driving mode continues to offer excellent go-anywhere ability.

While the MU-X deserves recognition for its high level of standard safety equipment across all variants, a couple of the electronic systems somewhat spoil the otherwise great driving experience.

Lane-keep assistance has its obvious advantages, as does blind-spot monitoring with driver assistance, but the ‘emergency lane keeping’ steering effect dialled in when the car thinks the driver is unintentionally leaving the lane is overly aggressive and unpleasantly forceful in the driver’s hands.

Adding to the frustrating effect, the action isn’t always cancelled or prevented when applying the indicator, which makes the autonomous reaction of the steering wheel even more off-putting.

It’s a relatively minor technological gripe compared with the long list of virtues that stack up in the MU-X’s favour.

If the once no-frills reputation of the Isuzu badge makes you a little dubious of the brand as a maker of family and lifestyle-focused cars, it’s time for another look.

With the latest MU-X, the Japanese marque has once again turned up the quality and equipment stakes, while maintaining the dependable and simple underpinnings that earned Isuzu the recognition it deserves.

And at the top of the pile, the refreshed LS-T breaks even more new ground for the brand. With its combination of luxury touches, generous standard kit and dependable go-anywhere promise, it’s a brilliantly well-rounded package.

If you’re shopping with a budget that can accommodate the most expensive Isuzu in the line-up, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything that delivers more in return for your cash.