Styling, braking improvements for MU-X

Having made the rounds on both its website and social media channels for over a month now, Isuzu South Africa has finally divulged the details of the updated MU-X.

In it’s first significant update for two years, the seven-seater receives a redesigned front bumper with the lower half finished in black instead of chrome. It also gets a new grille, black fog light bezels and projector-type bi-LED automatic headlights. The upper section of the rear bumper is colour coded, there are gloss black side steps and a two-tone silver finish for the roof rails. There are diamond-cut gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels and a black-andchrome taillight combination.

Inside, wider use of piano-key black detailing is used on the switches, doors, around the infotainment system, gear lever and on the centre console. There is white ambient lighting on the doors, plus black-and-silver switches on the multi-function steering wheel.

Although standard spec is unchanged, the MU-X’s safety sheet now includes a Brake Override System designed to cut accelerator input when both it and the brakes are applied simultaneously. This, according to Isuzu, “reduces the vehicle’s stopping distance in an emergency”.

Under the bonnet, and unlike the Australian-spec MU-X that boasts 430Nm of torque, the N-series light truck derived 3.0 D-TEQ turbodiesel engine has been kept untouched with outputs of 130kW/380Nm. Available once again with rear-or-four-wheeldrive, plus the Eaton locking rear differential added last year, the MU-X is equipped solely with a six-speed automat- ic transmission. The claimed towing capacity for a braked trailer is three tons.

The MU-X costs R630 400, with the 4x4 derivative selling for R698 200. There is a choice of seven colours; Splash White, Obsidian Grey, Cosmic Black, Titanium Silver, Havana Brown, Silky White Pearl and Red Spinel Mica.

The MU-X comes with a fiveyear/120 000km warranty and a five year/90 000km service plan.