The second-generation Isuzu MU-X has been confirmed for a local introduction into South Africa by the end of this year. This model will be an all-new iteration of a product which garnered much favour amongst local buyers in a hotly contested segment.
Headlines are an array of driver-assistance technology, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and state-of-the-art powertrains, as well as soft-touch materials in the “exquisitely crafted” cabin. The exterior features a bold new appearance, too. The handsome seven-seater Isuzu MU-X will be manufactured in Thailand at Isuzu’s Samrong assembly facility and fully imported into South Africa for sale to our market, as well as other right-hand-drive markets in Africa.
“Vehicle testing was successfully conducted late 2020 and we continue to test the vehicle under a number of conditions to ensure it is suitably prepared for South African conditions.” Says Dominic Rimmer, Senior Vice President Technical Operations.
Rimmer also notes that dealer technical training has already commenced and that preparation of their Parts Distribution Centre in Gqeberha is in full-swing for the Isuzu MU-X. With over 30 000 line-items in stock, Isuzu says that service, maintenance and repair items can be ordered and delivered to dealerships within “a day or two”.
The Isuzu MU-X again ditches its bakkie sibling’s leaf-spring rear suspension in favour of a five-link setup with coil springs. In addition, in Thailand at least, it will ship standard with a six-speed automatic transmission (with seemingly no option of a manual gearbox). Rear- and all-wheel drive will be on offer, with models fitted with the latter featuring a terrain command rotary controller (with 2H, 4H and 4L settings) on the centre console.
Another thing to note is that should there be enough demand, both the Isuzu MU-X and the D-Max upon which it’s based could benefit from a power bump to their 4JJ3-TC 3,0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel motors. Read more on that here.
There is no word yet on local pricing, which we can expect closer to the vehicle’s launch in the coming months.
