The difference was pronounced, though not disconcerting. If you’ve ever tried cramming an 11-year-old between two booster seats in the back seat, you’ll understand. Isuzu has taken the soft approach, leaving the ride fairly supple and forgiving. Tyresales has over 1.000 accredited fitment centres Australia-wide. The Isuzu MU-X has a three-tonne braked towing capacity, which is down from the 3.5 tonnes the stablemate D-Max offers, and a little less than some of the others in the segment.

What’s more important is the tuning, and this MU-X is quite good. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.We put our new long-term tow rig through the ringerIt’s a hot topic for debate: what is the best option for hauling around a three-tonne van, especially if you’re on the road full-time?

Of course, you could easily mount an argument that the new Discovery or 200 Series LandCruiser would be a better tow rig. Let's take it for a spin.The GoRV tow vehicle has been on its last legs for, well, a long time. TOWING THE ISUZU MU-X. The Mitsubishi Triton, Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara boast 3000kg, while In the meantime the Isuzu D-MAX, which in many ways has a similar, no-nonsense, tough truck demeanour to the HiLux, albeit in much fresher form, recently raised its towing from 3000kg to 3500kg, although seemingly without any major changes to engine or underpinnings.As we’ve discovered previously, the D-MAX (unladen) is a pretty good thing around town.While not state of the art, the five-speed auto is programmed to shift into top gear at every opportunity, which improves both fuel efficiency and overall refinement. Particularly when there are fewer heavy-duty SUVs up to the job, with the likes of But as is often the case, the ‘advertised’ tow rating is not necessarily the most sensible, with maximum torque figures often a better indicator of the vehicle’s abilities under severe load.While the D-MAX is capable of towing three tonnes-plus, the uninspiring manner in which it does it means something like a Ranger or Australia's No.1 place to buy, sell or research a car, and read all the latest news and reviews.Australia's No.1 place to buy, sell or research a bike, and read all the latest news and reviews.Australia's No.1 place to buy, sell or research a boat, and read all the latest news and reviews.Australia's No.1 place to buy, sell or research a caravan or camping equipment.Buy, sell or hire new and used trucks, buses and equipment at Australia's No. 2019 ISUZU D-MAX LS-T SPECS: Engine: 3.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel Max power: 130kW @ 3600rpm Max torque: 430Nm @ 2000-2200rpm Transmission: 6-speed auto 4x4 system: Dual-range part-time Kerb weight: 2026kg So we’ve brewed up a tough and testing loop of winding roads, with potholes and steep climbs and descents over which we’ll be checking fuel economy, dynamics, performance and comfort.Along with a lot of the chassis and front suspension, the MU-X shares an identical driveline with the D-Max ute. tow ball download weight (kg) Maximum Towing Capacity ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) (kg) Tow Ball Download > Weight (kg) When towing between 0 - 3220kg (ATM), the 4x4 Isuzu D-MAX can be loaded to its full GVM capacity of 3050kg and not exceed GCM of 5950kg. Isuzu D-Max Tow Test Results. It would only rarely stay in top gear under very light throttle on flat or downhill sections.On the upside, the somewhat bouncy, leaf-sprung rear end calmed down a lot with a decent weight on the tow ball, but there was some noticeable pitching when driving at suburban speeds on less than perfect roads.Fuel wise, the D-MAX averaged a commendable 7.5L/100km ‘solo’, rising to 14.5L/100km towing, according to the trip computer. Until I figure out how to make money grow on trees, a Land Cruiser 200 or Discovery 4 was out of the question, and I didn’t really want to buy a second-hand vehicle – again.Second, towing capacity and performance. Braked is when the trailer being towed has its own braking system. The towing capacity shown below include the braked and unbraked towing capacity. There have been few changes to Isuzu’s trusty, truck-like, Thai-built ute since 2012. Go a bit further, and start recommending full-size Yank Tanks with four figures of newton metres. © Copyright 2020 Pat Callinan Media. Unbraked is when the trailer being towed does not have its own braking system. We’ve got this MU-X for the long haul, both figuratively and literally. Towing Capacity: 3500kg Towball Download (max): 350kg Payload: 1024kg. With vehicle loaded and caravan loaded and about 7% at towball weight both tug and den are matched and at even level. but it didn’t bottom out on any of the bumps. Get a load of this on 2019 Tow Test. The towball mass of our 2.4-tonne Franklin Razor caravan wasn’t enough to worry the rear suspension, either statically The Isuzu MU-X has a three-tonne braked towing capacity, which is down from the 3.5 tonnes the stablemate D-Max offers, and a little less than some of the others in the segment. Both the middle and top-spec models get 18in alloys, while the entry level LS-M only gets 16in wheels.The manual transmission is only available in LS-U trim.

It’s just too much of a squeeze to fit him between the booster seats.The third-row seats fold flat to open up the cargo area, which also has nearby cupholders and a 12V point for the kids.


Powered by FOR MORE 4X4 & RV INFO, VISIT SOME OF OUR OTHER WEBSITES Dig a little bit deeper, however, and you will see a 5750kg GCM.

On the same steep hill we'd previously roared up in a Land Rover Discovery towing a big caravan, the D-MAX struggled and had to resort to second gear to keep on the pace.Although a limiting factor shared with its rivals, the Isuzu's 5850kg gross combined mass (GCM) is worth mentioning, as it reduces the payload from around one tonne to little more than 400kg when towing a 3500kg trailer.Engine braking when towing down steeper hills is another area where the D-MAX falls behind. The ATM of the Den is 1850kg (nearly at max weight) and Tug has plenty to spare. Product code: 5867608990. These days, the MU-X driveline still goes toe-to-toe with the competition. Its ‘Terrain Command’ 4WD system (two-high, four-high, and four-low range), is very capable.When it comes to my ability to tow massive loads, the Isuzu MU-X is something of a compromise vehicle. Our decision came down to balancing budget and performance against towing capacity. All Rights Reserved. Volkswagen Amarok V6: 3,000kg .