A few days ago, we brought you spy shots of the India-spec Isuzu MU-X SUV, which is slated to hit showrooms on May 11, 2017. The MU-X is a rugged contender from Isuzu which is likely to take segment stalwarts like the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour head on.
Dealers have begun accepting bookings unofficially for the Isuzu MU-X, with the booking amount varying from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. The Isuzu MU-X will be sold in India initially with only one engine option, a 3.0-litre diesel good for 163hp and 380Nm torque. Transmission duties will be handled by a sole five-speed automatic gearbox. Isuzu will offer two drivetrain options though, a 2WD and a top-spec full-time 4WD option.
Dealer sources also suggest that Isuzu is planning to further expand the MU-X line-up later in the year, which means more variants like the 2WD and 4WD MT and a less-powerful 150hp, 1.9-litre engine option could be on the cards.
The Isuzu MU-X will be assembled at Isuzu's Sri City plant in Andhra Pradesh. This facility currently assembles the Isuzu D-Max and the V-Cross lifestyle pick-up truck which is a sister model to the MU-X. Isuzu recently unveiled a facelifted version of the MU-X internationally. However, in India the pre-facelifted MU-X will come first and the refreshed model will follow later.
There is no word on the MU-X pricing yet. However, dealers suggest that the SUV will be priced below the popular Toyota Fortuner and also may have a starting price of around Rs 24 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) for the 2WD variant.
Update
As stated by us here, Isuzu has indeed priced the MU-X below the Toyota Fortuner. Click here for more details.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
