A fantastic school run SUV and family road trip off-roader!
By Tace Clifford
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The new 2022 Isuzu MU-X looks more like the kind of seven-seater SUV that you'd expect to see doing school drop-offs than the previous model, which looked larger, boxier and more ‘off-roady'. But this is still very much an off-roader if you get the 4×4 option! So let's find out how it gets on with our BabyDrive testing…
BabyDrive Verdict
The main thing I was concerned about was whether they'd kept the brilliant dashboard cup holders!! They are still there thankfully so we can all relax and look at the rest of the car!!
While the washing machine style aircon dial is gone from the dashboard, Isuzu has retained the easy to use and minimal dash, which makes it simple to jump in and go without feeling overcomplicated.
There are some nice features in the top-spec LS-T model that I have tested like heated and electronically adjusted front seats too. It did take me a little while to find a comfy position so it would have been good if there were memory buttons too, because my husband also took ages to get comfy and I had to again spend time putting my seat back how I wanted!
There is a new 9-inch media screen in the top two models, the LS-U and LS-T, and a 7-inch screen in the bottom spec LS-M model. All have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the bigger screen has sat-nav built in.
You can control some of the media system features from the buttons on the left of the steering wheel but I found there was a delay of a good few seconds which I found really frustrating and had to compensate for.
When it comes to the back seat, things are a little different compared to before. The previous model Isuzu MU-X was one of the few cars with three ISOFix across the second-row seats. In the new 2022 Isuzu MU-X, there are ISOFix in the two outer second-row seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three second-row seatbacks.
Similar to the old MU-X, the top tether anchorages are quite far down the seatbacks, so there are some considerations for installing child seats, for some rear-facing child seats and capsules you will need an extension strap and when the third-row seats are folded flat then it is quite hard to access the top tether anchorages as the seats partially cover them, so it is best to install your child seats before filling your boot with all your camping gear!
There are no top tether anchorages in the third-row seats so you can't install child seats back there.
I could fit three child seats across the second-row seats, the seat is also spacious and wide enough that I could also fit between two child seats, or in an outer seat beside two child seats.
The third-row seats are really spacious too. Hubby could fit back there comfortably and he's 186cm, so there is plenty of room for the in-laws when they visit or your lanky teenager and their friend!
The window in the third row has changed shape and doesn't wrap around the back of the car like the previous model, however I found visibility was better when seated in the third row as the visibility is now forward.
Knee, head and kick room are fantastic in the third row and that carries throughout the new MU-X. We could fit hubby in the third row, a rear-facing child seat in the second row and someone as tall as hubby in the front passenger seat.
You still have to uninstall a child set from the second-row seats to climb through to the third-row seats though.
The boot of the new 2022 MU-X has changed in design as well as size. The raised box that used to be at the opening end of the boot floor is now gone and there is just this underfloor storage area, which we found really handy for separating things you don't want damaged or to roll around in the boot.
The floor of the boot is now flat which is much better for loading prams etc in and out and better for transporting your family dog. Things are less likely to just roll out onto the floor when you open it now too!
From empty with the third row folded, the boot now holds nineteen re-usable shopping bags, which is one more than the Ford Everest and matches the Toyota Kluger. The old MU-X would hold seventeen bags, comparable to the Mazda CX-9, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Prado that also hold seventeen. The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport holds 16 bags.
When the third-row seats are in use, the 2022 Isuzu MU-X will hold six shopping bags and a twin pram or stroller with now fit in the boot with one bag. That's a good improvement over the old MU-X and comparable to the Mazda CX-9 or Toyota Fortuner, which will both also hold six shopping bags. The Ford Everest will hold one more than the Isuzu and the Toyota Kluger will hold two more. Both the Pajero Sport and Toyota Prado will hold three.
There is lots of storage throughout the new 2022 MU-X too. Cup and phone holders in the third-row.
The second-row passengers have cup holders that fold out of the central armrest that stashes away in the seatback, as well as map pockets, door bins, two USB ports and a phone shelf in the back of the central console box.
In the front, the storage box is gone from the top of the dashboard, which leaves two small glove boxes and a glasses case in the ceiling.
The central console box is small and there is a phone tray in front of the gear lever.
The door bins are a good size in all doors and will hold large refillable water bottles.
There are air vents in all three rows of seats in the MU-X.
In the second and third rows, the vents are in the ceiling so you do have to set the direction of the fans manually before you head off if you have little passengers in the back. There are controls in the ceiling for bigger rear passengers or you can turn the rear air-conditioning on and off with a button by the driver's right knee.
The New 2022 Isuzu MU-X has eight airbags, including a central airbag between the two front seats as well as curtain airbags that extend to the third-row passengers.
The MU-X has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 85% for child occupancy protection, 87% for adult occupancy protection and 84% for the safety technologies.
The 2022 MU-X has a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity which makes it a class leader for towing. and comes with trailer sway control as standard. We'll give this a test later in the year when we'll take it on a family holiday (Learn more about the Isuzu MU-Xâs towing capabilities here)!
So not only will its new more SUV-like look and feel make it more at home in the suburbs, when you head off on family camping trips it will be great off-road and for towing the caravan or camper trailer too.
The new 2022 Isuzu MU-X has a much-improved drive, there is a softness to it and it doesn't feel as top-heavy in the corners. The turning circle is 20cm smaller than the previous model MU-X which I've found makes it easy to drive around town and to manoeuvre in school and supermarket car parks It feels much smaller than the previous model in that respect, even though it is slightly bigger.
Visibility is very good down the sides of the vehicle using the side mirrors however when loaded up with child seats you can't see anything out of the back, so I relied heavily on the side mirrors and reversing camera. It doesn't have the ability to show the reversing camera while driving forwards, unlike some SUVs.
The reversing camera image fills the whole screen which is good. There are front and rear parking sensors in the top two models, LS-U and LS-T, but the LS-U just has rear parking sensors.
You can mute the parking sensors with a button in the central console.
When it comes to fuel economy, the new 2022 Isuzu MU-X also has an 80-litre fuel tank which we have found pretty good this week and after doing over 150km on the motorway the distance to empty readout still said over 1000km of fuel to go. After driving round town it started using more diesel but still added up to more than 1000km on a tank.
Saving the best 'til last is the new digital speedo! Finally… woop woop! There is also speed sign recognition so it is much easier to stick within the speed limits and you can even press a button that won't let the MU-X go over the limit on the last sign it recognised.
Want to know more? Click on the headings below for more detail.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How good is the storage in the 2022 Isuzu MU-X? How big is the boot of the 2022 Isuzu MU-X?
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I donât want to move around while Iâm driving such as Tulsiâs lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where itâs not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they donât move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mumâs life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres ia not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
A side-by-side twin stroller now fits in the boot of the Isuzu MU-X with eleven shopping bags beside it. That's five more than in the previous model!
A tandem pram fits in the boot with twelve shopping bags beside it.
A single pram fits in the boot with twelve shopping bags beside it.
A compact stroller fits in the boot with sixteen shopping bags beside it.
You could fit one very large, or multiple smaller dogs in the boot of the New 2022 Isuzu MU-X when using only five seats.
When using all seven seats of the new Isuzu MU-X the boot space is now a much more practical and usable size for families. I could get six shopping bags in there, the same as a Mazda CX-9 or Toyota Fortuner. The Ford Everest will hold one more than the MU-X and the Toyota Kluger will hold two more. Both the Pajero Sport and Toyota Prado will hold three.
Or a twin stroller will now fit in the boot with one shopping bag.
A tandem pram fits in the boot also but with no shopping bags.
Or a single pram fits with one shopping bag beside it too.
A compact stroller fits in the boot of the Isuzu MU-X when using all seven seats with four shopping bags beside it.
A small dog would fit in the boot of the Isuzu MU-X when using all three rows of seats.
Storage inside the Isuzu MU-X is good in all three rows.
In the third row, there are cup and phone holders on each side. They will hold a re-usable or disposable coffee cup and a large refillable water bottle fits in them too.
In the second row of the new MU-X, there is a fold-down armrest in the central seatback with two cup holders that pop out of the front of it. They will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and a large refillable water bottle fits in there too. However, you can not put two coffee cups next to each other as they hit into each other.
There are map pockets on the back of both front seats, they will hold and conceal an iPad.
There is a phone shelf in the back of the central console box and two USB ports.
The door bins in the second row are the right size to hold a large refillable water bottle and there are little handle wells too.
In the front, there are pop-out cup holders at either end of the dashboard. These are great for keeping drinks cool in the summer while you are driving and are nice and easy to reach! Also when you're on a big family road trip it allows you to double-park your caffeine!
There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a re-usable or disposable coffee cup or a large refillable water bottle fits in them too.
Behind them, the central console storage box is quite small and has no lining so anything in there will rattle around when you are driving off-road.
In front of the gear lever, there is now a phone tray and two USB sockets and a 12V socket too.
There are two small glove boxes in the dash, the bottom one will hold my wallet with the manual, but an iPad won't fit. The top glove box is just big enough to hold a phone or wallet.
There is a lined sunglasses case in the ceiling of the new MU-X and there are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors too.
By the driver's right knee, there is a coin drawer.
The front door bins are nice and large, they will hold a large refillable water bottle and an iPad or map book fits behind it too. There are also the handle storage wells.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T? How good is the media system in the 2022 Isuzu MU-X LS-T?
The new 2022 Isuzu MU-X is a nice, quiet drive. I thought with all the new safety gear it would be ringing alarms and bells like most SUVs but it didn't thankfully.
The media system has had a big update. The top-spec LS-T and mid-spec LS-U both have a 9-inch media screen and voice command feature and the bottom spec LS-M has a 7-inch screen.
All have wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and digital DAB radio which is great for accessing all your comms and podcast or navigation apps while driving along.
The media system itself is still simple and basic to use.
Sat-nav is built into the 9-inch version and there are just a few menu options along the bottom of the screen.
There are some adjustments you can make in the settings screen list system.
The most useful I found in the audio settings to minimise sounds that could be disturbing for little passengers.
The reversing camera image in the new 2022 Isuzu MU-X is pretty clear and fills the whole screen, which is great.
The LS-U and LS-T models have front and rear parking sensors, whereas the bottom spec LS-M model only has rear parking sensors. You can also turn the parking sensors off with a button down in the central console.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
Itâs where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when Iâm reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to triple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just donât like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I donât trust cameras alone.
The Isuzu MU-X has had an update in its driver display panel too and now has a digital speedo! WOOP WOOP! As well as traffic sign recognition so it displays the speed limit too which is really handy for sticking to the speed limit driving in areas you don't know. You can even set it to not go over the current speed limit (as long as it saw the road sign!)
The indicator volume is fairly quiet in the MU-X so I didnât find it affected my girls while they were sleeping.
The windows and doors open and close quite quietly in the 2022 Isuzu MU-X and didn't disturb little sleepy passengers.
With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didnât notice them having a loud opening or closing sound. With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!
You can lock the doors and windows from the driver's door control panel to stop little ones from fiddling with them in the back.
I found I could come to a stop and with the engine still running take my seatbelt off and get out of the car without any alarms sounding, which is fantastic!
Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back! If it's hot I need to leave the engine running and the aircon on but I do like to get out and drink my cuppa tea in the fresh air while enjoying the fact my limbs are free from said dangling child!! SO this is a very important test as I have found that sometimes I have been held hostage by a cars BEEEEPING alarms when I have taken off my seatbelt or opened the door while the engine is still running!! (I only stand outside the car, I am not a bad mother!!)
Both road and engine noise are much better in the New 2022 MU-X. It is a much quieter car to drive especially around town, the ride is much smoother for passengers and there is none of the top-heavy tip and roll that they feel in a lot of other 4x4s.
It still has the quite loud sound of the engine grunting as you do in most big diesel vehicles, especially when you are going uphill.
There is a  rear seatbelt removal visual on the driver display screen for the rear passengers.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the new 2022 Isuzu MU-X?
The new Isuzu MU-X has top tether anchorages on the back of all three seat backs within plastic guides that are nice and easy to connect to, WHEN, you have the third-row seats up.
The anchorages are positioned near the bottom of the seatbacks so you may need an extension strap for your top tether strap, especially for rear-facing child seats.
Also when you have the third-row seats folded down flat it is hard to access the top tether anchorages, so do not load your boot up with everything (like I did!) and then install your child seats because you can not easily access them!
Three child seats fit nicely across the second row of the 2022 Isuzu MU-X. The seat has been made slightly wider and so there was space for three forward or rear-facing child seats.
A great feature is that the front passenger seat folds down flat, which allows you to easily climb through past a rear-facing child seat to the central seat.
Getting through to the third-row seats is unfortunately not as well thought out.
The second-row seats are split 60:40 and the 40% is on the road side. The second-row seat base does not slide forward or back, it tumbles forward so you have to uninstall at least one child seat to access the third-row seats.
The third-row seats do not have any top tether anchorages or ISOFix so we couldn't install any child seats back there We did find them very comfortable though and to have enough knee, toe and headroom for hubby to be very comfy and he's 186cm!
The new 2022 Isuzu MU-X does have a lot more interior space than the previous model, which makes legroom fantastic throughout! There is enough to have a tall person, like hubby, in the third-row and another in the driver's seat, with a rear-facing child seat between them in the second row.
Door openings are wider which makes getting in and out easier and loading child seats in too. It also gives the parents more space to lean in and do up harnesses etc.
The shape of the window in the third row has been changed, to radiate forward now instead of wrapping around to the back like the previous model did.
We found it gives great visibility for third-row passengers out of the windows while driving, which should help with reducing travel sickness.
With the second row loaded up with three child seats, visibility out of the back is blocked, so you really rely on the side mirrors and reversing camera when manoeuvring and parking.
I could sit between two forward-facing child seats in the second row and I'm 162cm. The backrest in the central seat is hard due to the fold-down armrest.
We found when we had two full-size child seats installed next to each other and a side seat empty hubby could just fit in that seat, he's 186cm, but he was cramped for headroom and shoulder room so wouldn't want to sit there for a long journey.
With two child seats installed in the second row, there is room to feed Bub in the back. The interior space is so good that feeding Bub in any row is very comfortable.
This top-spec LS-T model 2022 Isuzu MU-X has black leather seats with perforations and stitch details in the central panels, which could be tricky to clean kids crumbs and spills out of!
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2022 Isuzu MU-X as a family car?
The front seats in the Isuzu MU-X LS-T are lovely and comfortable. In the LS-T they have electric adjustments and they are heated, which is nice in winter! I did find they took a little while to find my comfy spot so it would be nice to have a memory option in them so I didn't have to find it again every time hubby drives the car.
The headrests still do not adjust to allow for a ponytail though!
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get it just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
In the second row of seats, the two outer seats are super comfortable, the middle seat backrest is harder because it has the fold-down armrest in it.
The second-row-row seats have plenty of shoulder room and legroom, with a low hump in the central footwell, they also recline.
The third-row seats are very comfortable and spacious, with good head, knee and kick room and a good view out of the sides. Hubby could fit comfortably back there and he's 186cm tall.
The steering wheel in the 2022 MU-X is now telescopic and adjusts in/out and up/down.
The cruise control buttons are on the right on the steering wheel in the 2022 MU-X, I found them very simple to use and the cruise control was quite accurate on motorways and undulating roads.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard, two in the centre and one at either end.
You can turn the rear air-conditioning on and off with a button by the driver's right knee.
The controls for the air-conditioning used to be a washing machine style dial in the central dash, which is now gone and a slick panel has replaced it.
The 2022 Isuzu MU-X top-spec LS-T has remote engine start on the key fob so you can cool the cabin before you get in, as well as keyless entry and a powered tailgate.
I LOVE powered tailgates now I am a mum! When I go out to the car carrying my daughter, with my arms laden with everything I now appear to need even just to nip to the shops for some milk!! I can press a button and it opens without me having to do some weird contortionists move to open it manually whilst trying not to drop anything (especially my child!!) It is fabulous!! The only downside is I have sometimes thought I could get something out of said boot when my daughter is asleep in the car and the beeping has woken her up!
Visibility out of the front of the 2022 MU-X is very good, however, because when you have the second-row full of three child seats the visibility backwards is very poor.
There are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors. There is a press on light in the front ceiling and a lined glasses case.
In the second row, the lights are central in the ceiling on either side of the air-con controls. Neither are reachable by the driver.
I have found our daughter does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So itâs really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light. Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DONâT want her to fall asleep in the car as even a 5minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so itâs not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!! It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
I really enjoy driving the new 2022 Isuzu MU-X as a family car. It feels intuitive to drive, it's a lot less lumbering than the previous model and the rock and roll feeling of most big 4x4s is hardly there so it feels more SUV-like to drive than top-heavy off-roader.
The new smaller turning circle makes it much easier to park and manoeuvre around town and school drop off!
I did find I relied on side mirrors and the reversing camera a lot as visibility is tricky out of the back.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and the kids have either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread when we get the big cars and utes as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the 2022 Isuzu MU-X was great to park and it was very enjoyable to drive!
There are a lot of seven-seat SUVs and 4WDs on the market, which gives the 2022 Isuzu MU-X a lot of competition.
What the new 2022 MU-X has over its competitors is its suitability for family road trips and camping trips with its new 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity so you can easily tow your camper trailer or caravan and all the bikes and scooters!
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
The new 2022 Isuzu MU-X has been given a five star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 87% for adult occupancy protection and 85% for child occupancy.
Of the crash test results ANCAP said: In the frontal offset (MPDB) test, protection of the chest of the 10 year old dummy was rated as ADEQUATE and protection of the neck was rated as POOR. Protection of other body regions for the 10 year old and all body regions for the 6 year old dummy were rated as GOOD. In the side impact tests, protection was GOOD for all critical body areas for both the 6 year and 10 year child dummies. The Isuzu MU-X is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the second row outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all second row seating positions. Top tethers and ISOFix anchorages are not available in the third row. Installation of child restraints in the third row is therefore not recommended. Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed that all of the selected child restraints could be accommodated in all second row seating positions and full points were scored for this assessment.
The MU-X comes with eight airbags, including a central airbag between the two front seats as well as curtain airbags that extend to the third-row passengers.
When it comes to safety the new Isuzu MU-X is right up there with all the new safety technology that you would expect in a modern family SUV.
I think itâs important to weigh up which safety features are important to you when youâre considering buying a car. If for example you have a child that you know is always taking off their seatbelt then seat belt reminder alert might be a must have for your new car. Just because a car has a five-star safety rating it doesnât mean it comes with the same passive and active safety features as another car with a five-star safety rating or that the cars scored the same in an ANCAP crash test!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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4 Comments
I see you have 3seats fitted but one is rear facing. My question is have you or can you actually fit 3 forward facing Seats? As I just got a new MUX 2022, and I am unable to fit my 3 seats in it, looks like I need to buy at least 2new ones to make it work a safe for my kids.
Hello, just wondering (I may have missed it, if I have sorry!) how much room the driver has with rear facing seat? My husband is 190cm and we need to upgrade my current car as thereâs just not enough room for him with rear facing seats. Thanks đ
I see you have 3seats fitted but one is rear facing. My question is have you or can you actually fit 3 forward facing Seats? As I just got a new MUX 2022, and I am unable to fit my 3 seats in it, looks like I need to buy at least 2new ones to make it work a safe for my kids.
The seats we used at the time were quite chunky. Compare the specs of yours with these: https://babydrive.com.au/infasecure
Just wondering if you were able to fold the second row seat to access the third row without having to remove the middle car seat?
Hello, just wondering (I may have missed it, if I have sorry!) how much room the driver has with rear facing seat? My husband is 190cm and we need to upgrade my current car as thereâs just not enough room for him with rear facing seats. Thanks đ