Product Review

By Rob Webb & Julia Robinson – Ruff Road Media

We gave long-time advocates and Isuzu MU-X owners Rob and Julia a brand-new MU-X LS-T to test out on a short family getaway down south. With camper trailer in tow, the couple both give us their take on the latest offering from Isuzu.

The brand new Isuzu MU-X is upon us and Isuzu Ute Australia had kindly lent us an LS-T to take away for a weekend to test out. We currently own a 2014 MU-X LS-T and use it daily for around town duties with the family, a camera car for work and towing the camper on a semi-regular basis. We decided to take the kids away to Busselton for the weekend with the camper trailer. As soon as we finished loading the car and hitched up the camper a problem arose. We couldn’t open the powered tailgate. After a quick phone call to Isuzu Ute they pointed us in the direction of a menu setting in the dashboard to allow the powered tailgate to open with the trailer attached. Cruising down the freeway towing the camper was an interesting experience as the new MU-X has a lane departure prevention system that moves you back (quite abruptly) into the lane if you get too close to the white line. And as we all know, towing on a windy day can push you around the lane a little bit. The first time this happened was unexpected as I had the lane support system turned off. But the new D-MAX and MU-X both have an issue that the lane departure prevention cannot be fully deactivated. I have been advised however by Isuzu Ute Australia that this will be rectified by a firmware update that owners can request from their dealer. Once I knew what it was doing, towing the camper at 100km/h was a breeze. The active cruise control kept at pace with traffic and the need to readjust the speed or touch the brakes was non-existent. On our return to Perth I took it up to Julimar State Forest to see how it handled. Having a rear locker made a difference compared to my current MU-X as simple cross ups were drivable without needing to have fast momentum to get through and risking unnecessary damage. Overall, driving the new MU-X was certainly enjoyable and a step up with features from my older model.

Iwas lucky enough to be given the chance to test drive the brand new MU-X LS-T for a week and I must say a week was not long enough. As a driver of a much smaller car on a daily basis (Mazda 3) and on occasion a 2014 MU-X LS-T, the difference is startling. It drives as smoothly and quietly as my Mazda but gives me the driving position and visibility of the larger 4WD (which, being a shorter person, I particularly enjoy). The electronic steering is so light and responsive it makes driving the car a dream and all the added features like lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control help to make driving long distances a breeze. The dashboard display does take a little getting used to and I benefited from studying all the options before taking off so I wasn't distracted by all the information at my fingertips. But it sure is handy to have things like tyre pressure read-outs and blind spot monitoring right in front of you. The car is large enough for a family (our two girls loved it) with tons of boot space for all the shopping, or an extra two seats in the back (for the times you need to pick up the boys from the pub). There is plenty of power under the bonnet for towing or taking long scenic drives through the hills. As one who doesn't do much 4W driving personally I can't comment on how it goes off-road, so I'll leave that to the more informed. But as a family car I can't fault it and it was a fun and gorgeous ride which I would recommend (and in fact have) to any and all who are looking to upgrade their vehicle and driving experience.

Experience the 11 day 4WD Tag-Along Holland Track - Woodlands, Rocks & Trails Outback Wilderness tour as we travel from Broomehill through the Wheatbelt and into the Eastern Goldfields.

0499 113 193 | wmonks@westnet.com.au | greatsouthernoutback.com.au

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