The refreshed 2019 Isuzu MU-X was revealed this week and officially went on-sale yesterday boasting tweaks to the exterior and interior and improvements to safety.
The refreshed 2019 Isuzu MU-X was revealed earlier this week and officially went on-sale yesterday (May 1). This update follows the 2017 refresh which saw a slight facelift and the engine become Euro V compliant. Pricing kicks off at $42,900+ORC for the entry-level 4×2 LS-M, $50,200+ORC for the 4×4 LS-M and up to and $56,400+ORC for the top-spec 4×4 LS-T.
This refresh, according to Isuzu, creates a more commanding and bolder look. The new look grille is finished in grey and black for the LS-M variant and chrome and gloss for the LS-U and LS-T variants. And the grille changes are more than just about looks, Isuzu said it had “been designed to route airflow to essential engine and cooling components while staying true to the iconic horizontal bar look made famous by Isuzu trucks over the past century”.
Like the D-Max, the MU-X LS-U and LS-T get new-look 18-inch alloys wrapped in road-oriented 255/60R18 Bridgestone Dueler Highway Terrain tyres. And, like the D-Max, there’s extensive use of piano black trims as well as new interior ambient lighting options on the top-spec LS-T variant only.
While the exterior and interior changes to the MU-X have been minimal there have been some key mechanical tweaks. The steering has been revised to offer a “smoother and lighter experience” with less effort required to turn the wheel when parking, according to Isuzu.
Isuzu Ute Australia Managing Director, Hiroyasu Sato, said: “Recalibrating the MU-X steering to require lighter inputs while manoeuvring at low speeds, whilst retaining the sturdy firm feedback at medium to high speeds has given the MU-X the best of both worlds.”
Beyond the steering changes, Isuzu Ute has announced blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert as a cost-option ($955) on 17MY, 18MY and 19MY-ownwards MU-X variants (it can be retro-fitted to older models). Similarly, front park assist (parking sensors) is being offered as a retro-fit cost-option ($545) from 17MY-onwards for both D-Max and MU-X.
