ENGINE AND TOWING
The vehicle ’ s 3L turbo-diesel engine is good for 140kW at 3600rpm and 450Nm of torque at 1600-2600rpm , a small improvement over its predecessor and I ’ m still deciding how noticeable it is in daily driving . According to Isuzu , though , the engine develops its maximum torque across five times the revband of its predecessor , and a hearty 400Nm from 1400rpm through to 3200rpm . I feel as though I have noticed the extra torque when towing , despite so far only having towed a couple of sub-2500kg caravans . From a standstill , it gets going that little bit easier , and the six-speed auto transmission feels about right .
While a 500kg upgrade to the towing capacity ( now 3500kg and 350kg TBM ) was a major selling point when the MU-X was relaunched a couple years ago , I ’ m yet to test how it performs with that sort of weight on the back . I ’ ll have more to say on that soon . But with 2000-2500kg on the back , it does an admirable job . I ’ ve long thought the MU-X was one of the most stable tow vehicles in its class and I ’ ve seen nothing so far that would change my opinion on that – it ’ s certainly one of the sharper tools in the shed .
One of the disappointments of the earlier MU-X was the fact that Isuzu didn ’ t warrant it for use with a weight distribution hitch . That has been rectified , so caravanners can now opt for a WDH from their dealer . And let ’ s not forget , the MU-X comes with in-built Trailer Sway Control , which applies braking to individual wheels in an effort to bring any trailer sway back under control .
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