Isuzu’s big man is the natural contender against Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Fortuner in the Thai auto market and the car maker is now keen to repeat the same in the Indian market. The dealership at Delhi and Hyderabad are in the initial stage of setup but Isuzu has started taking the bookings for the SUV and it’s another versatile pick-up. The MU-7 SUV is currently priced at Rs. 24.16 lakh (Ex-showroom price Hyderabad), while its sibling D-Max is priced at Rs. 6.87 Lakh for the single cab and Rs. 8.09 lakh for the double cab variant.
The MU-7 is a full sized SUV and there is nothing that is subtle about its styling. The nose has been prominently denoted with the V shape and the block headlamps give it a battering ram appearance. The Isuzu badge can be seen inside the simple chrome grille and there is the large and functional air intake on the bonnet also. The MU-7 has recently received a styling update and the biggest change has been received by the fog light region where the bumpers can now be seen protruding outwards and the fog lamps has sunken back inside. Isuzu in effort of enhancing the muscular feeling has also underlined the chrome grille. Foot plate, wheel arches and roof rails have been added to enhance its distinctive styling.
The MU-7 is just about 5mm shorter than the 5 m mark, making it longer than the Toyota Fortuner which is about 4705mm long and the three meter long wheel base is also quite large (Fortuner got only 2750mm). It will be quite interesting to see if its large size may cause trouble to its drivability.
It houses a variable geometry turbo charged 3.0 litre common rail diesel motor that pulls out about 160 bhp with the peak torque of about 34 Kgm at only 1600 rpm. The MU-7 comes mated with both 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto transmission.
The MU-7 offers leather seats, leather coated steering wheel, entertainment screens of rear passengers, 10 speaker audio system with subwoofer and faux wood paneling. The dashboard has still inherited the traditional design with upright T-Shaped affair. It is expected that with the massive wheelbase the MU-7 will be offering the best in-class legroom for 2nd and 3rd row passengers.
