Isuzu
MU-X
Model Profile
From $49,900
Driveaway price · priced Aug 2026. Varies by state. Details →
Most large four-wheel-drive wagons spend their marketing budget convincing you they are luxury SUVs that happen to go bush. The Isuzu MU-X does the opposite. It is the unfashionable, ladder-frame, diesel-only seven-seater that quietly finished 2024 as Australia's second best-selling large SUV under $80,000, honest about what it is: a D-Max ute with a wagon body, built to tow 3.5 tonnes and still fire up on the tenth Christmas. The current 25.5MY range spans eight variants from $49,900 to $77,100, and a new 2.2-litre engine has finally retired the breathless 1.9 that used to anchor the bottom of the line-up.
3,500kg
Every grade pulls the full 3.5 tonnes, inside a 5,900kg gross combination mass.
$469 flat
A flat price per visit, under a six-year, 150,000km warranty.
5 stars
Rated 2022 (86 per cent adult occupant), with eight airbags across the range.
What matters to you?
120–140kW
Power400–450Nm
Torque3500kg
Braked towing6.4–7.6L/100km
Fuel economyRange shown across the MU-X line-up. Pick a priority to see the numbers that matter to you.
Images are illustrative and digitally rendered. They may not reflect the exact variant, colour or trim. Details →
Living with the MU-X.
The MU-X is the value anchor of Australia's sub-$80,000 ladder-frame seven-seat segment. It undercuts the Ford Everest and the Toyota Prado on price at every rung while still arriving with seven seats, a 3,500kg braked tow rating and genuine low-range hardware as standard. The trade is plain: you give up some on-road polish and cabin newness, and in return you get a proven, durable tourer for thousands less. That value case is the whole reason it became Australia's second best-selling large SUV in 2024, and the late-2025 25.5MY update kept it sharp with a stronger 2.2-litre base engine and a 3.5-tonne tow rating now standard across the eight-variant range.
Pricing runs from $49,900 for the rear-drive LS-M 2.2L to $77,100 for the X-Terrain flagship (2026 list pricing), so most of the range sits well under the rivals' equivalents. Ownership is where the maths gets friendlier still: every MU-X carries a six-year, 150,000km warranty, up to seven years of roadside assistance, and flat-price servicing pegged at $469 a visit for the first five years. That is $2,345 of scheduled servicing across 75,000km, which keeps a hard-working family wagon cheap to keep on the road.
Two diesels now split the range. The new 2.2-litre four (120kW/400Nm) pairs with an eight-speed automatic and is the smoother, thriftier daily engine, sipping as little as 6.4L/100km in the rear-drive LS-M. The familiar 3.0-litre (140kW/450Nm) keeps a six-speed auto and the extra muscle that matters when you are near the tow limit. Underneath sits the serious stuff: dual-range four-wheel drive, a rear differential lock, an upgraded Rough Terrain Mode, up to 235mm of clearance and 800mm of wading depth. The 3.0-litre grades even clear a 29.2-degree approach angle, where the lighter-nosed 2.2-litre grades sit closer to 24 degrees.
What you don't get is a modern cabin. AU launch reviews of the February 2025 facelift landed on the same two notes: the locally retuned suspension sharpened its on-road composure, and the return of physical volume and tuning knobs undid years of fiddly menus. Those same reviews are just as consistent on the limits: a dash more functional than plush, and a diesel that still clatters under load. The assist suite is generous, with adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera on the higher grades, though there's no full lane-centring and the cruise can brake cautiously. The MU-X earns its place on towing, running costs and country-wide dealer reach, not on topping the spec sheet. If cabin polish or the quietest highway drive lead your brief, you'll pay more for them elsewhere in the class.
17,978
The MU-X was Australia's second best-selling large SUV in 2024.
MU-X Range Walk
Eight variants split across two diesels and four grades. The engine call is simple: the 2.2-litre eight-speed is the smoother, thriftier daily; the 3.0-litre six-speed is the one to tow with. The grade ladder is where the real money goes.
- 01
LS-M
Best value and best off-road tyresFrom $49,900
The work-grade entry, from $49,900 (4x2) to $55,900 (4x4), both on the 2.2L. 17-inch alloys on all-terrain tyres, an 8-inch screen, cloth trim and single-zone climate. Plain, but it carries the same towing and safety hardware as the rest.
- 02
LS-M 3.0L
The cheapest tow engineFrom $57,900
The cheapest way into the older 3.0-litre four, at $57,900: $2,000 over the 2.2L 4x4 on the same work-grade kit. You give up the eight-speed's town polish for 140kW and 450Nm through a six-speed, the torque that earns its keep loaded up near the 3,500kg limit.
- 03
LS-U
The value sweet spotFrom $62,900
For $62,900 it adds 18-inch alloys, a 9-inch screen with sat-nav, dual-zone climate, smart keyless entry, front parking sensors and a hands-free power tailgate. The biggest single jump in everyday liveability.
- 04
LS-U 3.0L
Value grade, tow engineFrom $64,900
The value sweet spot with the muscle to match, at $64,900: the same sat-nav, dual-zone and power-tailgate kit as the 2.2L LS-U, plus the 3.0-litre's 450Nm for $2,000 more. The pick if this is your grade and the van rides near the limit.
- 05
LS-T
Best for comfort and kitFrom $71,400
From $71,400 it brings 20-inch alloys, leather-accented and heated power front seats, a 360-degree camera, remote start and ambient lighting. The family-friendly grade, if you can live without the off-road tyres.
- 06
LS-T 3.0L
Comfort that tows heavyFrom $73,400
Comfort without dropping the tow engine, at $73,400. The leather, heated seats and 360-degree camera all stay; the six-speed 3.0-litre and its 450Nm add $2,000 for owners who want the full kit and the grunt to pull heavy.
- 07
X-Terrain
Best for street presenceFrom $76,490
The $77,100 flagship, 3.0L only. Gloss-black styling, 20-inch black alloys, red-stitched leather and an exclusive Slate Grey finish. It looks the part, but the 20s and highway rubber make cheaper grades the better bush tools.
Driveaway price · priced Aug 2026. Varies by state. Details →
Under the skin.
How much can the Isuzu MU-X tow?
The Isuzu MU-X is rated to tow up to 3,500 kg with a braked trailer and 750 kg without trailer brakes.
Heaviest braked trailer allowed, quoted as ATM: the loaded trailer including ball weight.
3,500 kg
Limit for trailers without their own brakes.
750 kg
Gross vehicle mass: the most the loaded vehicle may weigh, ball weight included.
2,800 kg
Gross combination mass: vehicle and trailer together, both fully loaded.
5,900 kg
The vehicle as delivered, before people, cargo and accessories.
2,085 kg
Everything you may add: people, cargo, accessories and ball weight.
715 kg
Downward load on the tow ball; it counts toward GVM.
350 kg
What's left once the van is hooked up
Hook up 3,500 kg with 350 kg on the ball and the LS-M 2.2L Turbo Diesel 4WD has 315 kg of payload left for people, cargo and accessories. The limit that bites here is the GCM, not the GVM.
You cannot use the full payload and the full tow rating at the same time: together they would exceed the 5,900 kg GCM by 50 kg. With the vehicle loaded to its GVM, the trailer limit drops to about 3,450 kg.
Assuming 10 per cent of the trailer weight.
Two adults plus luggage is roughly 400 kg.
Over a limit. This combination does not comply.
Tow rating
0 kg under the 3,500 kg braked rating
Vehicle GVM
Over GVM by 35 kg. Lighten the load or the ball.
Combined GCM
Over GCM by 85 kg. Trailer and load cannot both stay.
Tow ball limit
0 kg under the 350 kg ball limit
The rules and the fine print
Figures are manufacturer maximums for the LS-M 2.2L Turbo Diesel 4WDand can change with model year; the compliance plate and handbook of your exact vehicle govern. In Australia, trailers over 750 kg GTM (the loaded weight on the trailer's own wheels) need their own brakes, and over 2,000 kg they need brakes on all wheels plus a breakaway system. Ball weight typically runs 8 to 12 per cent of ATM. Axle loads and tyre ratings are not modelled here. Checking a different car against your van? Use the towing calculator.
How it protects.
ANCAP · Tested 2022
This vehicle achieved the highest possible ANCAP safety rating, with strong results across occupant protection, pedestrian safety and safety-assist technology.
Buy the MU-X if you want a durable, big-towing seven-seater for thousands less than the Everest or Prado, and you would rather spend the difference on a caravan than on cabin trim. It backs that with a 3,500kg braked tow rating, a six-year/150,000km warranty and $469 flat-price servicing, and burns a frugal 6.4 to 7.6L/100km. The mid-range LS-U is the value sweet spot, and the new 2.2L is the better town engine while the 3.0L earns its keep towing heavy. Skip it if cabin refinement, on-road quietness or the latest driver-assist tech lead your brief. Few large 4x4 wagons make a safer long-term ownership case.
- Undercuts the Everest and Prado at every grade
- 3,500kg tow and 5,900kg GCM standard across the range
- Six-year/150,000km warranty, $469 flat-price servicing
- Genuine low-range, rear diff lock and real wading depth
- Eight airbags and full IDAS assist standard on every grade
- Cabin feels a generation behind the class leaders on polish and tech
- Diesel clatter and road noise under load
- The 2.2L runs out of puff towing near the limit
- Light, low-feel steering and a cautious cruise calibration
- X-Terrain's 20-inch wheels are styled for the street, not the rocks
Where the MU-X has been.
Past generations. Context, not the car on sale today.
The MU-X arrived in Australia in 2013 as Isuzu's first seven-seat wagon, replacing the Holden Colorado 7 and sharing its bones with the D-Max ute. More than 100,000 have sold here since. The current second generation launched in August 2021 and has been steadily sharpened, with a 2025 facelift and a new engine in late 2025.
2013 to 2021: First generation
A Colorado 7-derived budget hero that built the MU-X's reputation for honest value and toughness. Some early 3.0-litre cars from roughly 2017 to 2019 drew owner complaints over diesel particulate filter regeneration and, in a small number of cases, engine-bay structural cracking. These issues belong to the previous generation, not the current car.
2021: Second generation
An all-new platform brought a major leap in safety and refinement, a full driver-assist suite and the five-star ANCAP rating the range still carries. This is the underlying car Isuzu sells today.
2024: Software recall
In August 2024 Isuzu recalled MY2020 to MY2024 3.0-litre D-Max and MU-X models over engine-control software that could cut engine speed and risk a stall. The fix was a free dealer software update. It is a resolved campaign on the current-generation platform, addressed before the new 2.2-litre arrived.
2025: Facelift and the 2.2L
A February 2025 facelift retuned the suspension locally, added physical infotainment controls and intelligent adaptive cruise, and introduced the X-Terrain flagship. In October 2025 the 25.5MY update replaced the old 1.9-litre with the stronger, eight-speed 2.2-litre, dropped the manuals and trimmed the range to eight variants.
Asked about the MU-X.
By Yuri Cartland, Editor