Urban 4x4
7
Urban 4x4
The idea of taking a rock-solid platform and developing a family-friendly adventure is a concept I have grown to appreciate. Take the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest. They have long dominated this space, but Isuzu is now asserting itself with the mu-X, a sturdy SUV that offers old-school ruggedness, reliability and enough room for the whole family.
At the same time, the steady influx of premium-feeling Chinese SUVs has pushed the bar slightly higher, and legacy brands are now having to respond with upmarket designs and competitive pricing. So, is Isuzu’s traditional approach still relevant? Absolutely.
Starting up that rock-solid 3.0-litre turbodiesel served as a reminder that some things are best left unchanged. I took a second to sit back after pushing the start/stop button to appreciate an engine that’s remained largely unchanged over the years, producing 150kW and 450Nm. When I first put my foot down, it didn’t exactly impress with outright punch, but that’s hardly the point here since Isuzu focuses more on reliability and consumption. There’s enough torque on tap to handle overtaking manoeuvres or tricky off-road obstacles with relative ease.
That said, outright off-road capability isn’t strictly speaking what the Onyx is about. It’s a functional platform, no doubt, but this variant has also been geared towards urban life with 20-inch alloy wheels and road tyres, paired with darker accents which include a black front bumper, roof rails and badging. We know that the mu-X platform is happiest on gravel roads, but the Onyx takes a different angle, directed towards city routines, and it looks the part. In turn you gain a slightly stronger sense of confidence through its incredibly light steering feel and road tyres that generally hug the road better than an all-terrain tyre.
There’s an old-school feel to the way it drives, too, with a hint of turbo lag, subtle engine vibrations and plenty of torque from the diesel engine. The throttle isn’t the most responsive, with a degree of initial hesitation, but it is more eager once on the move, and the brakes are sharp with good weight under heavier braking. The corners do reveal a substantial amount of body roll, as is expected, but at no point is it enough to feel as though it’s destabilising the SUV.
On my usual farm route, it impressed with solid shock absorption and decent wheel articulation. It was only the little voice in the back of my head that stomped the brakes on my enthusiasm, what with 20-inch wheels and road-biased tyres. The suspension too is rigid over rougher road surfaces, not as much as, say, a D-Max, but more than you would expect in a suburban-positioned SUV.
Step inside, and that combination of tough but refined continues. On one side, there’s still a generous use of hard wearing plastic surfaces and a dated infotainment screen, but the Onyx adds quilted leather seats and red ambient lighting (subtle but adds occasion during nighttime driving), as well as an increased use of piano black to convey a stronger sense of plushness. It doesn’t have overly complicated digital interfaces, with Isuzu staying faithful to analogue and redeploying a physical 4-High and 4-Low selector dial and a push button for locking the rear diff, all the while the steering wheel retains volume and cruise control adjustments. It’s a comfortable space, if not modern in design.
From a pricing and market standpoint, the mu-X Onyx moves into a unique sector the market. On the surface, it competes with other ladder-frame SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner, the Ford Everest, and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. More specifically, though, at R1,026,800, it contends with other range-topping offerings like the Fortuner GR-Sport at R999,000 and the Pajero Sport Exceed at R904,990. While it’s pricier than most, it’s still a bargain compared to the Everest, which is priced at R1,309,000, with Ford’s ladder-frame offering a modern platform, premium specs with a cleaner infotainment setup, less rugged materials and a more premium drive through its superior suspension and V6 engine offerings. The Everest also provides a broader range of options, with the Wildtrak providing luxuries while maintaining a strong off-road focus, and the Platinum topping the list with higher levels of specification, comfort, and a V6.
I enjoy bakkie-based SUVs. For family life, it offers a more practical and well-rounded alternative to a traditional bakkie with secure and larger boot space and the option for seven seats. All without batting an eye at the road less travelled. In many ways the Onyx retains this sense of robust usability, but the massive wheels and lack of exterior hardware, like bull bars and bash plates, detract from its typically rugged appeal. It looks wonderful and drives with confidence and reliability, but I would have liked to see a touch more focus in refining the interior to match the look.
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