2025 Isuzu MU-X X-Terrain review TechTricks365

The Isuzu MU-X range has been updated, and with the revamped and revised lineup, the Japanese brand has added a new range-topping X-Terrain variant of its popular seven-seat off-road SUV.

Yes, it’s a name borrowed from Isuzu’s flagship D-Max dual-cab 4×4 ute, but this one doesn’t feel like a truck to drive. In fact, there have been some important upgrades and inclusions that make this one of the most appealing takes on the MU-X theme to date.

So, read on and you’ll find out what it costs, what it’s like to drive, what it’s like inside and much, much more.

How much does the Isuzu MU-X cost?

The MU-X range is bigger than ever, following the addition of the top-shelf X-T variant as part of the facelifted MY25 lineup.

Yes, the brand does have a strange habit of offering drive-away prices for some variants, which are lower than the list prices (before on-road costs), but it’s a good way for consumers to get an idea of what they’re looking at in terms of the bookends of the range.

The MU-X still compares favourably to the likes of the Ford Everest on pricing, not to mention the much more expensive Toyota Prado, but there are a number of other diesel seven-seater off-road SUVs that undercut it, including the LDV D90, Mahindra Scorpio and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

To see how the Isuzu MU-X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Isuzu MU-X like on the inside?

Buy the X-Terrain and you can tell you’re getting something a bit more spesh as soon as you slide into the driver’s seat.

It has a host of model-specific changes that help it hold its own in the range, including red stitching details and highlights through the cabin, not to mention red LED ambient interior lighting. The 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen also has red fonts and specific graphics.

In addition, the X-Terrain has dark grey and piano black appointments instead of the chrome silver or black accents as seen across the rest of the range.

So, does it feel like almost $80K worth of interior? Not especially, but it is certainly the poshest MU-X ever seen in this market.

As part of the 2025 update, higher-spec grades scored a new 9.0-inch touchscreen media system (as seen in the D-Max), and it has both good and not-so-good points. 

The screen glare is not great – if you’re in the driver’s seat, it can be difficult to see what’s going on on the screen at times. However, what is good is the volume dial, tuning dial, and a row of home buttons below the screen, making it much easier to interact with than the multimedia unit it replaces. 

It also has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, if those are the things you like to use. There’s a drop-down screen to quickly jump between menus and settings, and the car adjustments are actually pretty deep. 

You have access to the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) settings, so you can turn things off if you want. You can also adjust electrical elements, check off-road angles, see where your wheels are pointed, monitor tyre pressure, and view the transfer case display to see what’s happening with your powertrain. 

The system is pretty good – easy to get your head around, and useable. It also includes built-in sat-nav, and you can jump between menus pretty quickly.

There’s also a new 7.0-inch driver info screen with some good features, including the aforementioned X-Terrain specific colouring. 

You can navigate through menus using the steering wheel controls, and it provides a good at-a-glance view of fuel consumption and other useful information. 

On the steering wheel you also have controls for adaptive cruise control, volume, voice control, and phone pickup/hang-up buttons. There’s a view mode button on the steering wheel, allowing you to quickly check the car and its surroundings – a neat feature, especially in a tight parking garage.

The unchanged bottom part of the dash includes fan and temperature control toggles, and easy adjustments for the direction and air recirculation. 

There are USB-C ports, seat heating buttons, and a 12-volt port, but one thing still missing from this MU-X is a wireless phone charger – frustrating, especially considering it has Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and a phone-shaped storage box just begging for it. You can get a wireless charger as an accessory, but it should really come as standard at this money (and less!).

There’s a conventional gear shifter, and you’ve got traction control and Hill Descent Control buttons, but somewhat surprisingly the top-spec model has plenty of blanks, which cheapens the vibe a bit.

It also features a drive mode selector for four-wheel driving (2H, 4H, and 4L), a rear differential lock, rough terrain mode, and Auto Hold to prevent the car from creeping forward in traffic. The parking brake is electronic. 

Now, storage. The front is decent, with cupholders, additional loose item storage, and large door pockets with bottle holders, but the glove box is completely full with books, and there’s no top glove box or extra storage on top, which is a bit of a downside. However, you do get a sunglasses holder.

Inside, there are yellowy halogen lights which again bring the vibe down a bit, as do the halogen lights for the vanity mirrors. An auto-dimming rear-view mirror is a bonus, but it’s not available in all variants.

Second-row space with the driver’s seat set for my position (I’m 6’0” or 182cm) is plenty in terms of legroom, footroom, and headroom. However, the interior feels quite dark because of the black headliner and the lack of a sunroof. 

There are grab handles, coat hooks, and overhead vents, which are great, along with a fan control system that lets you adjust airflow. 

In terms of amenities, you’ve got bottle holders in the doors, seatback pockets, and USB-C ports. 

There’s not much intrusion from the transmission tunnel, but the seats don’t slide forward, so this is the amount of space you get, no matter what. 

The second row has ISOFIX child seat anchors and top-tethers for child seats, and they even come with covers to prevent the seat from being damaged. There’s also a flip-down armrest with pop-out cupholders, which is a neat feature, though I had some issues with it being a bit finicky to put away.

The middle-row seat folds down easily for access to the third row, and you can push the seatbelt out of the way to make it easier to access the back. 

As a grown adult, I can fit in the back with decent headroom, but it feels quite gloomy due to the dark interior. One thing to note is that entry-level versions have a lighter headliner, which might be more appealing for those who don’t like the dark feel. 

The back row has overhead vents and small windows, and cupholders too. 

However, there are no child seat anchors in the very back row, so if you’re planning to use this as a seven-seater for small children in the third row, it won’t work. If you’re looking for a more family-friendly seven-seater, you may want to check out other options.

As for the boot space, there is 311 litres of cargo capacity with all three rows up, and that expands to a generous 1119L with the third-row folded down. 

Under the body of the vehicle is a full-size spare wheel – as you’d expect.

To see how the Isuzu MU-X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The MU-X X-Terrain has Isuzu’s heralded 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine (4JJ3-TC), which offers 140kW of power (at 3600rpm) and 450Nm of torque (1600-2600rpm).

Those are lower outputs than some rivals with a litre less engine capacity, but it is a tried and tested powertrain and doesn’t feel much less punchy. It’s matched as standard with an also-carryover six-speed automatic transmission and, for 4×4 variants including the X-Terrain, selectable four-wheel drive with 2H, 4H and 4L via a low-range transfer case, plus a locking rear differential.

The towing capacity for this model is 750kg for an unbraked trailer, and 3500kg for a braked trailer. 

If you want to save cash, there’s a 1.9L turbo-diesel four-cylinder delivering lower 110kW/350Nm outputs, also with a six-speed auto. Like the 3.0L, you can get it with 4×2 or 4×4, but braked towing is capped at 3000kg for models with that powertrain. 

Gross vehicle mass (GVM) for 4×2 models is 2700kg and 4×4 models is 2800kg, while gross combination mass (GCM) across the 1.9L range is 5500kg (5900kg for 3.0L models).

Fuel tank capacity is 80 litres, and the official combined cycle figure is 8.3L/100km for this grade, and all others with the 3.0L 4×4 powertrain.

Over my time with the X-Terrain, I saw a real-world figure of 8.5L/100km, with highway, urban and back-road driving thrown into the mix. Very impressive, I’d say – but my testing didn’t incorporate towing or off-roading.

To see how the Isuzu MU-X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Isuzu MU-X drive?

There have been some changes to the driving experience, and since it had been a little while since I’d driven an MU-X, I noticed them straight away. 

The ride comfort and compliance seem significantly better than the previous model I drove a while ago. 

It still feels firm, as is the case with most ladder-frame SUVs derived from utes, but this particular version with 20-inch wheels and lowish-profile tires does have a slightly harsher ride than other grades. 

But overall, the ride comfort is perfectly acceptable for a vehicle of this type – better than some competitors, and certainly better than a Toyota Fortuner or Pajero Sport.

When it came to the steering, I was also impressed. It’s light enough without feeling too airy, so you get some connection to the front wheels. The responsiveness of the steering is actually not too bad at all, and it handles itself well enough for a vehicle of this type. 

While it’s designed for off-roading, I didn’t get a chance to test that aspect in this review – and honestly, if I was choosing a version of the MU-X to hit the trails in, it wouldn’t be one with 20-inch black wheels…

However, there are still some carryover complaints I have about the drive experience, primarily the engine noise.

It’s really loud. When you’re under throttle, that diesel rattle is ever-present. It’s less noticeable in stop-start traffic, for instance, but when you ask the engine to do more, it can get a little tiresome. 

That’s probably my biggest complaint about the driving experience, apart from the fact the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel still continues in its least stressed form… as in, there’s more torque to be had here, but it hasn’t been let loose by Isuzu’s engineers. 

I reckon they could easily eke out another 100Nm from this engine, as people do with aftermarket chips and tunes. 

As it is, the engine feels a little bit lazy, and at high speeds on the highway, if you need to overtake, it takes a little bit of work to keep it going.

The six-speed auto does a good job though, managing the torque of the engine pretty well, and I do like the way it behaves at most speeds. 

It’s focused and smooth enough to keep things moving without too much fuss. It even does a bit of engine braking when going downhill, dropping back a gear to help slow you down. 

Braking performance is pretty good, though the pedal does have a spongy feel, and the body of the vehicle lurches forward a bit when you hit the brakes. Still, it pulls up strong enough.

To see how the Isuzu MU-X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Below you’ll see a rundown of the entire MY25 MU-X range, and the X-Terrain is the last one on the list because it builds upon all the grades below.

2025 Isuzu MU-X LS-M equipment highlights:

• 17-inch six-spoke silver alloy wheels with 255/65R17 Dunlop AT25 All-Terrain tyres
• Bi-LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Electronic park brake with auto hold
• Polyurethane steering wheel and shifter
• Carpet flooring
• Cloth upholstery
• Dual vanity mirrors
• Push-button start
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless Android Auto (NEW)
• 4-speaker sound system
• 3 x USB-C outlets (2 front, 1 in second row) (NEW)
• USB-A outlet for aftermarket dash camera (NEW)
• Air-conditioning with rear passenger air vents and controls
• Door mirrors and door handles finished in black
• Sidesteps finished in black
• Window trims finished in black

MU-X LS-U adds:

• 18-inch 12-spoke titanium metallic alloy wheels with 265/60R18 Bridgestone 684II HT tyres (NEW)
• Smart Entry and Start
• LED fog lights
• Rear privacy glass
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Power-folding and heated body-colour door mirrors
• Body-colour door handles
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen (NEW)
• 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• 8-speaker sound system
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, with electric adjustable lumbar support
• Dual-zone climate control with rear passenger air vents and controls
• 4 x USB-C outlets (2 front, 2 in second row) (NEW)
• Tyre pressure monitoring

MU-X LS-T adds:

• 20-inch six-spoke two-tone machined face alloy wheels with 265/50R20 Bridgestone 684II HT tyres
• Door handles, window trims, front fender accents, roof rails, side steps in gloss black (NEW)
• Rear privacy glass
• Remote engine start
• Power-folding and heated door mirrors w/ side cameras finished in gloss black (NEW)
• White ambient interior lighting
• Black headliner
• Heated front seats
• 8-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar
• 4-way power passenger seat
• Leather-accented upholstery with grey stitching and leatherette across door trims, centre console

MU-X X-Terrain adds:

• 20-inch gloss black alloys, coated with a smoked clear coat with 265/50R20 Bridgestone 684II HT tyres
• Updated LED fog lights with black fog light bezels and gloss black surrounds
• Gloss black fender flares
• Lower body side skirt
• Lower rear underbody spoiler
• Piano black and silver metallic interior trim
• Red stitching details
• Red LED ambient interior lighting
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen with red fonts, graphics

To see how the Isuzu MU-X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Isuzu MU-X safe?

The safety changes are a big story for the updated MU-X. 

The Isuzu MU-X has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP that is datestamped July 2022, and it was issued following a redesign to the driver’s knee airbag and instrument panel.

In that testing the MU-X received an adult occupant protection score of 86 per cent, child occupant protection score of 85 per cent, vulnerable road user protection score of 69 per cent, and safety assist score of 84 per cent.

The updated MY25 MU-X’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) suite adds new hardware such as a new ‘Gen4’ stereo camera that detects pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles and other vehicles with greater speed and accuracy.

According to the brand this greatly improves the peripheral and field-of-view vision, while a new Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC) that can adjust your speed based on traffic sign recognition is also offered. Beyond that tech, there’s also Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) that can maintain vehicle speed and distance at speeds below 60km/h.

Updated lane-keep assist has been added with better lane-centring technology, and there’s a new reversing camera that includes a hitch guide and a hydrophobic coating to prevent muck obscuring the view. Choose one of the higher grades and you score a surround-view camera as well.

More new stuff includes Rear Cross Traffic Brake (RCTB), which acts like a rear AEB system to react to approaching vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians when reversing.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with Turn Assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver attention monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Emergency lane-keep assist
• Mis-acceleration Mitigation
• Rear cross-traffic assist (NEW)
• Intelligent speed limiter
• Reversing camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Trailer sway control
• Tyre pressure monitoring

The LS-U adds front parking sensors, while the LS-T and X-Terrain also get a surround-view camera.

All MU-X vehicles come with eight airbags – dual front, dual seat side, dual full-length curtain, front knee and front centre.

To see how the Isuzu MU-X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Isuzu MU-X cost to run?

Isuzu Ute Australia offers a six-year/150,000km warranty plan, which is a longer duration than that offered by Ford and Toyota (both five-year/unlimited-km), but not quite as generous as the SsangYong Rexton’s seven-year/unlimited-km warranty. 

The brand will back your vehicle with up to seven years of roadside assistance, so long as you service with its dealership network.

There’s a capped-price plan for five years/75,000km – shorter than the previous seven-year offering from the brand.

But the costs are, on average, relatively low for the first five visits, at $469 per service. There’s also a free three-month/3000km checkup as part of the ownership program.

To see how the Isuzu MU-X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Isuzu MU-X

The newly updated Isuzu MU-X is improved in a number of ways, and the X-Terrain flagship certainly adds a bit of bling to this rugged family wagon.

Is it going to be the best version to build an off-road weekend warrior from? Arguably not. But at least if you choose to go down that route, you’ll have a nicer MU-X than your other muddy mates.

Interested in buying an Isuzu MU-X? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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