2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4×4 3.0L Turbo Diesel Review

Seven-seat SUVs based on their dual-cab ute siblings are becoming increasingly popular – Ford’s Everest sales are up 37 per cent this year already, for example. They are seemingly capable off-road for weekends away but crucially, can also do the school run with ease. Are they comfortable enough to live with on a daily basis though? We tested the top-spec 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4×4 to find out.

There are more options than ever before for those wanting one of these 4×4 SUVs with a few mainstream brands offering one – the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest are the heavy hitters in the segment. Recently renewed, the Isuzu MU-X has the underpinnings of the Isuzu D-Max ute, which means it is capable off-road and more than tough enough for what the streets can throw at it.

Price & Equipment: 8.5/10

There are just three variants in the MU-X range with the choice of rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive for each model. The 2022 Isuzu MU-X range kicks off with the base model LS-M (from $47,900 plus on-road costs) with the $53,900 +ORC mid-spec MU-X LS-U and top-spec $59,900 +ORC LS-T at the top of the range. Adding four-wheel drive to any MU-X model adds a steep $6,000 to the price. The car we tested is the 4×4 LS-T, which is priced at $65,900 plus on-road costs – yet curiously, its official drive away price is $63,990 – less expensive than the LS-U 4×4 that sits below it.

Because it’s the top of the range model, the 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T comes with every feature available on the MU-X. This includes 20-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare wheel, automatic LED lighting, rain-sensing wipers, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, an eight-speaker sound system, diff locks, dual-zone climate control with rear fan speed control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearknob, electric-folding mirrors (but not auto-folding), keyless entry and start with an electric tailgate, remote start, leather upholstery, two stage heated front seats and electric front seats with driver’s electric lumbar adjustment.

Safety kit is easily best in class with eight airbags (including a front centre airbag and third row curtain coverage), auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assist, automatic post-collision braking, misacceleration mitigation braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist with lane trace assist, driver attention monitoring, speed sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, auto high beam, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. Very little is missing – we’d like to see a 360-degree camera, rear occupant alert and auto rear braking added to the spec list, but that’s it. 

The 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T is a very well equipped car no matter which way you look at it. We would like to potentially see cooled front seats, auto-folding mirrors, electric-folding third row seating, a proper tri-zone climate control system and a sunroof added to the equipment list of the LS-T.

The rivals of the MU-X LS-T are the $62,945 +ORC Toyota Fortuner Crusader 4×4, the $64,390 +ORC Ford Everest Sport 2.0TT 4×4 and the $60,940 +ORC Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR. The MU-X LS-T 4×4 is more expensive than the competition but it does have some extra equipment over its rivals such as an extra airbag (eight versus the competition’s seven), remote vehicle start, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the larger 9.0-inch touch screen. The competition does offer features such as a 360-degree surround view camera, auto folding and heated exterior mirrors and more speakers to their sound systems, but ultimately, the value equation favours the Isuzu.

There are no optional extras on the 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T – the only personalisation option is the paint colours available. The only standard no cost colour available is ‘Mineral White’, while all other colours attract a $500 price increase. These colours include ‘Basalt Black’, ‘Cobalt Blue’, ‘Jasper Brown’, ‘Obsidian Grey’, ‘Mercury Silver’, ‘Moonstone White Pearl’ and our test vehicle’s ‘Magnetic Red’. Black is the sole interior colour – we’d love to see the tan colour available overseas make it to Australia.

Our particular MUX LS-T test car had some Isuzu genuine accessories fitted to it. There was the $1,100 tow bar kit, the $820 electronic brake controller, the $359 12-pin flat tow bar wiring harness and the $220 full set of rubber floor mats. Other accessories available are bull bars, nudge bars, a bonnet protector, a snorkel, weathershields, roof racks, carpet floor mats and boot liners.

Performance & Economy: 7.0/10

The sole engine available in the 2022 Isuzu MU-X range is a 3.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine. Power is sent via a standard six-speed torque converter automatic transmission – there’s no manual option available – to either the rear wheels in rear-wheel drive variants or to all four corners in 4×4 models. The engine produces 140kW of power at 3,600rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1,600-2,600rpm.

The six-speed torque converter automatic transmission in the MU-X is excellent. It is smooth and effortless in operation and the only criticism we have with it is that it sometimes has some hesitation to go into top gear – an eight-speed automatic would rectify this. Around town, the transmission does well to deal with the changes in speed and especially in stop start traffic.

Looking at the competition, the Toyota Fortuner features a 2.8-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder that produces 10kW and 50 Nm more than the Isuzu (150kW and 500Nm), the Ford Everest Sport fitted with the 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel four-cylinder engine produces 157kW of power and 500Nm of torque (17kW and 50Nm more than the MU-X) and lastly, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has a 2.4-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine that makes 133kW and 430Nm – 7kW and 20Nm less than the Isuzu. This places the MU-X mid pack for outputs, and we’d like to see more performance offered in future variants as the Fortuner and Everest do feel quicker.

The 4×4 MU-X has a claimed average fuel consumption of 8.3L/100km and we achieved an average of 9.5L/100km in mixed driving, which included towing another car behind it. It has an 80L fuel tank, which will give drivers an estimated range of around 900km, which is nothing special but much better than the Pajero Sport in our testing. The engine should be rated at newer than Euro 5 emissions compliance, though. 

Ride & Handling: 9.0/10

Traditionally, dual-cab utes don’t handle particularly great without anything in the tray due to the lack of weight over the rear axle. But this is fixed with the MU-X because there is more weight and sophistication at the rear, and the ride is more compliant on a day-to-day basis over the D-Max ute. The ride in our experience is one of the best in this genre of vehicle, it is not too jiggly or unsettled, even when going over bigger speed humps on the larger 20-inch wheels that are standard on the top-spec LS-T.

Due to the high centre of gravity, the 2022 Isuzu MU-X doesn’t handle like a Mazda MX-5 but this is to be expected. There is some body roll but it is not uncontrollable – you never feel unsafe behind the wheel of the MU-X. The Ford Everest is definitely more car-like in its ride quality and handling, but the MU-X still comfortably shades both the Fortuner and Pajero Sport.

Due to the increased ride height over regular SUVs, the MU-X and other vehicles in this class are very capable off road. Having 4×4 and a proper off-road chassis also aids this ability and can get the MU-X our of some properly tricky situations. Going away for the weekend or camping on the beach in the MU-X won’t even break a sweat, which is definitely part of its appeal. Helping its off-road capability are a two-speed transfer case with 2H, 4H and 4L modes, rough terrain mode, hill descent control and a locking rear differential. It also features 285mm of ground clearance, 29.2-degree approach, 23.1-degree ramp over and 26.9-degree departure angles.

The braked towing capacity of the 2022 Isuzu MU-X 4×4 is 3,500kg (750kg unbraked), which is much better than the 3,100kg braked towing capacity of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. We tested the towing on the MU-X by towing a car trailer and car on the back and it took it with ease – driving on the freeway and in stop start traffic it didn’t feel much different at all than driving the car without the extra weight on the rear.

Interior & Practicality: 8.5/10

The interior of the Isuzu MU-X is a rather comfortable place to spend time. The design is rather conventional, but for this genre of vehicle this is to be expected. For a car that is designed for long road trips, the MU-X does a good job of accommodating its passengers – even the third row of seating is reasonably roomy and comfortable.

The materials in the cabin are what we would call adequate and fit for purpose. There is a fair bit of hard plastic on the door panels and other touch points, but the dashboard and lower centre console are covered in stitched soft touch materials. The leather used on the seats, gearknob and steering wheel feels nice to the touch and the seats are quite comfortable – the electric adjustment for the front seats adds more to the driving position, and for that reason alone, we’d choose the LS-T over the mid-spec LS-U. A nice touch is the piano black centre console portions making the cabin feel more premium, though it is quite scratch prone.

Centre of the MU-X’s dash is a new 9.0-inch touchscreen that comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and digital radio. It’s not amazingly intuitive to use as it’s a bit slow and it dims when you turn the headlights on, but it’s a massive improvement on the previous car and is definitely better than the systems you get in most competitors – Ford’s SYNC3 system is still better, though. We’d love to see a fully digital instrument cluster join the MU-X though, as it would make it feel more expensive inside. The wireless Apple CarPlay can also take quite a moment to connect, which is frustrating.

The storage in the MU-X is rather good, but there are some things we would change. There is a spot in front of the gear selector to store your phone and/or wallet – a wireless charger should be there instead – with two cupholders behind the gearbox, a large centre console box, deep door bins with bottle holders in them and dual gloveboxes, which are quite practical for storing maps and other trinkets.

Getting into the second row of seating is easy enough with wide-opening doors (watch opening them in small parking spots). Once you’re in and sitting, there is a decent amount of space and adjustability to the rear seats meaning getting comfortable is not difficult. It’s a well-featured middle seat with reclining functionality, a centre arm rest with cupholders, map pockets, a hook on the passenger seat, door pockets and two USB-A charging ports – though we think sunshades would be a good addition. The fan speed controller is on the roof and the air vents are spread around the cabin.

Opening the power tailgate reveals 311-litres of cargo space with all three rows of seating still in place, folding down the third row via the straps on the back of them opens this space up to a big 1,119L. Folding the second row of seating down opens this space up again to a huge 2,138L and is more than enough space to store a bike or various other camping accessories and bigger than the 1,796L on offer in the Everest.

Service & Warranty: 9.0/10

As with all other Isuzu products, the 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T comes with a six-year/150,000km warranty. This trumps the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest’s warranties for length, though not distance as their warranties are unlimited distance. The MU-X also comes with seven years of roadside assistance, which is the same that is offered by Ford (if serviced at a dealer for that time) for the Everest and better than the up to four years offered by Mitsubishi. Toyota does not offer any form of roadside assistance.

The Isuzu MU-X requires servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, which is the same interval as the Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. The Toyota Fortuner is a little behind the times and requires servicing every six months or 10,000km. The cost to service the Isuzu MU-X over the span of five years/75,000km is $2,315, which means an average service cost per service of $463. Mitsubishi will charge Pajero Sport owners $2,495 to service their cars over the same period of time, which is a slightly higher average service cost of $499. Servicing the Everest over the same period of time is $2,335 with an average service cost of $467.

2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4×4 DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.6/10

The capability, practicality, versatility and tough nature of the 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T makes it a fantastic all-round family car that can do a wide range of driving from taking the kids to school, dropping them at soccer on the weekends or even going on an adventurous off-road camping trip. Yes, dual-cab utes can do this as well but they can’t carry seven people in relative comfort, and they’re also getting quite expensive to buy.

Out of the ute-based SUVs, would we park an Isuzu MU-X in our driveway? Well, the 2.0-litre twin turbo engine in the Everest is smoother, the touch screen more responsive and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has a better warranty but despite all of this, we would choose an MU-X over the competition. It is by far the best value, we would say the best looking, more practical and it is also the least expensive to service. We also would stick to this top-spec LS-T as its value equation is definitely superior to other MU-X models.