2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U 4×4 Review

Isuzu Ute has now solidified its position in Australia as a well-known brand, capable of producing some rugged and dependable workhorses – though far more advanced and luxurious in its current generation of products. Clearly, customers agree – the company has sold 23,697 units to the end of July in 2023, a solid 10 per cent increase on 2022 despite stock shortages that still plague the industry. The MU-X has built a loyal following of keen off-roaders and the 2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U 4×4 promises to be the perfect tool to conquer both the urban jungle and our vast outback.

The LS-U is the mid-spec model in the Isuzu MU-X range and promises great value in a practical and capable package. The Isuzu MU-X comes up against some talented competition, chief of which is the mighty Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the Toyota Fortuner. Can the Isuzu stand out from the crowd? Let’s find out.

Price & Equipment: 8.5/10

The 2023 Isuzu MU-X range kicks off with the two-wheel drive LS-M, which is priced at $48,900 plus on road costs (around $54,000 drive away), though the model we have here is the mid spec LS-U fitted with the optional dual-range four-wheel drive system, which is priced from $61,400 plus on-road costs or around $67,000 drive away.

The 2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U we tested comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, dusk-sensing automatic LED headlights with LED front fog lights, auto wipers, cloth upholstery, keyless entry and start with a power tailgate, an auto-dimming rear mirror, dual-zone climate control with a rear fan speed controller, rear privacy glass, a leather steering wheel and gearknob, electric lumbar adjustment for the driver, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, an eight-speaker sound system, two USB-A ports and rear air vents.

Safety tech includes eight airbags (including a front centre unit), auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assist, automatic post-collision braking, mis-acceleration 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. The MU-X range achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022.

The only standard colour available on the 2023 Isuzu MU-X is ‘Mineral White’ with ‘Basalt Black’, ‘Cobalt Blue’, ‘Galaxy Blue’, ‘Magnetic Red’, ‘Mercury Silver’, ‘Moonstone White Pearl’ and our test car’s ‘Obsidian Grey’ adding an additional $650. The only interior option for the LS-U is grey cloth upholstery.

The closest rivals to the 2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U are the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 and Toyota Fortuner Crusade. The Ford adds an extra airbag (nine in total), reverse AEB, a full-size alloy spare wheel, leather trim, auto-folding exterior mirrors, a 12-inch infotainment system and remote vehicle start over the MU-X LS-U, but costs around $73,000 drive away. Its fresher design and emphasis on technology might tip it over the line for some buyers. The Toyota features a 360-degree surround view camera, full size spare alloy wheel, front and rear mud flaps, an 11-speaker JBL sound system, a CD player, leather upholstery, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats and paddle shifters over the MU-X LS-U, but the Isuzu offers a lot more safety kit such as more airbags and it is around $4,000 less expensive to buy up front.

With both competitors costing more money than the Isuzu, we think that the MU-X LS-U is good value for the equipment you get, however, Isuzu Ute Australia offers the top-spec LS-T for $65,990 drive away as a permanent drive away special deal. Unless an LS-U is more readily available, we’d definitely choose the LS-T as it adds a lot of kit, including larger wheels, leather trim and electric front seats.

Engine & Performance: 7/10

The entire 2023 Isuzu MU-X range comes with a 3.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine that can also be found in the Isuzu D-Max. In this application, it produces 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque. The sole transmission option is a six-speed torque converter automatic sending the engine’s power to either the rear wheels, or all four wheels through a transfer case, capable of a low range function. Rivals like the 2.0-litre bi-turbo Ford Everest Trend (154kW/500Nm) and 2.8-litre turbo Toyota Fortuner Crusade (150kW/500Nm) are more powerful than the MU-X, but both weigh more than the MU-X – the Everest is rated at a porky 2,323kg (tare) and the Fortuner at 2,130kg, 253kg and 60kg more than the MU-X, so they feel similarly fast in the real world.

The ‘4JJ3-TC’ engine has been improved in the Isuzu range over the years, and is now more powerful, more efficient and quieter than ever. It’s a nice unit that has more than enough grunt to push you and your six passengers around. Even with seven-people in the MU-X, we found the power more than acceptable. There’s no getting around that it is a diesel engine however, and the engine used in the Everest is more refined.

As we mentioned, the sole transmission on offer is a six-speed torque converter unit and it is largely pretty good and does a decent job of getting the MU-X moving. The MU-X pulls away with no fuss and gearbox shuffles through the gears smoothly and almost imperceptibly, though we’d like to see an eight-speed transmission added as that would increase drivability and efficiency. The Isuzu MU-X has a braked towing capacity of 3,500kg, with an unbraked capacity of 750kg. This is matched by the Ford Everest Trend and Toyota Fortuner Crusade. The MU-X could easily tow a mid-sized boat or even a car trailer with a car.

As a large seven-seat diesel SUV, you wouldn’t think that the MU-X would be fuel efficient, but its efficiency in the real world might surprise you. The claimed average fuel consumption of the MU-X LS-U 4×4 is 8.3L/100km and we averaged 10.3L/100km in mostly urban driving, which we were happy with. The MU-X has an 80-litre fuel tank, so even in urban driving, a range of around 800km is possible.

Ride & Handling: 9/10

As we’ve discovered in the past, the ride and handling balance of the Isuzu MU-X is excellent. The MU-X’s 18-inch wheels with chunky Bridgestone Dueler H/T rubber, paired with a well-sorted suspension setup do a good job of soaking up the city’s lumps and bumps. We quite like the way the MU-X rides down the road. The MU-X is blessed with a good mix of comfort, it has multi-link rear suspension and great off-road clearances. Sitting in the third row of the MU-X is a little more uncomfortable ride wise, compared to being up front, as we found it a little firm. Due to the high centre of gravity, the 2023 Isuzu MU-X doesn’t handle like a sports car – or even a regular passenger SUV – but this is to be expected for a large ute based 4×4. Pushing into a corner at speed reveals 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 is still comfortably ahead of the Fortuner, offering a relaxed and safe feel behind the wheel. We found the steering a little light for our liking and would like a little more road feel communicated through the steering wheel. The active safety tech on the MU-X worked rather well, too. Most systems work intuitively, without interrupting the driving experience. The only criticism we had was with the lane keep assist system, which seemed to be a little sensitive and intrusive at times.

Interior & Practicality: 8.5/10

Choosing a word to describe the in the 2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U’s cabin is comfortable. Plain and simple. The seats, the driving position and the amenities all come under that word. The quality of materials is reasonable and there are seemingly endless storage options. It’s got more than enough tech for modern drivers, while it also has more than enough space for families and their paraphernalia too.

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. There are storage options abound and the MU-X features a large centre console, two cupholders behind the gear selector, a space to put your phone and wallet in front of the gear shifter, two glove boxes, cup holders at each end of the dash that double as small storage cubbies, a cubby by the drivers right knee, map pockets and door bins that can hold large bottles. You’d be hard pressed finding things to put in all of these storage solutions.

Sitting in the centre of the MU-X’s dashboard is an 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. Sure, it might not be as flash as the massive touchscreens seen in Ford Everest models, but it is definitely better than the systems you get in most competitors. We’d love to see a fully digital instrument cluster join the MU-X though, as it would make it feel more expensive inside.

Sitting in the second row is not the chore it is in some cars, with doors that open nice and wide and it has comfortable seats. There is plenty of room for two adults or three kids and there are also plenty of amenities too, including a fan speed controller, rear air vents, map pockets, two USB-A ports, door pockets with bottle holders and a centre arm rest with cup holders.

Getting into the third row is very easy, just pull on the handle on the top of the second row and the seat folds down and away, giving you easy access. Once back there, you’ll find ample space for two kids and adults will fit reasonably well too. Third row occupants also get air vents and airbag coverage, as well as cupholders. In the third row, we think there’s more space than both the Everest and Fortuner.

Open the power tailgate and it reveals 311-litres of cargo space behind the rear seats with the third row in place, with 1,119L of boot space with the third row folded and a huge 2,138L of space with the second row folded too. In comparison the Ford Everest has 259L/898L/1,823L respectively, making the MU-X comfortably more capacious.

Service & Warranty: 8.5/10

New Isuzu products are equipped with a six-year/150,000km warranty, which is superior to the five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty you get with the Ford Everest and Toyota Fortuner. The Isuzu also comes with seven years of roadside assistance, which is slightly less than the eight years you receive from Ford if serviced through a Ford dealer – though way more than Toyota’s none.

The cost to service the 2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U over the span of five years/75,000km is $2,435, or $487 annually. That’s a little more than the $2,190 cost for the Ford, but much less than the $2,900 for the Toyota. Both the Isuzu and Ford’s service intervals are more convenient than the Toyota’s six-monthly intervals as they only require a visit to a service centre once every year.

2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U 4×4 DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.4/10

We’re big fans of the 2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-U 4×4, and in many ways it is a remarkable car – but it’s also quite humble in how it goes about its business calmly and relatively quietly. The interior offers a huge amount of space (in storage, cargo space and passenger room), the engine is smooth despite its commercial origins and it is also pretty good value compared to its rivals. It is also quite comfortable for a ute-based SUV, which can sometimes feel rather agricultural to drive.

Unfortunately all is not all positive as the interior could use a little more plushness, it lacks some features that rivals offer and opting for the 4×4 system is not cheap. Having said that, the MU-X offers quite a lot for the money and is an excellent way to explore our vast country, or to tackle inner suburbia. Sure, it might not reach some of the talent offered by the latest Ford Everest, but its considerably cheaper price proves paying a lot less doesn’t mean you’ll have to put up with a vastly inferior product. Try and find the Isuzu MU-X’s breadth of ability and value for money in another SUV, we challenge you.