Japanese automaker Isuzu has finally launched the automatic variant of its large SUV, the MU-7, but it faces some really tough competition.
Just yesterday we reported that Isuzu will be launching the MU-7 automatic in India and today the company has launched the vehicle. The Isuzu MU-7 automatic has been launched in India priced at Rs. 23.90 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) and it will be available in the Premium variant whereas the manual transmission is offered in the High variant. The manual variant costs Rs. 21.40 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), meaning that the automatic variant comes with a premium of Rs. 2.5 lakhs, which according to us is a bit high.
The Isuzu MU-7 draws power from a 3.0-litre VGS turbocharged diesel engine that produces 160 HP of power and 333 Nm of torque between 1600-3200 RPM. The automatic variant gets a new steering wheel with audio controls and a two-tone dashboard with wooden finish. The SUV also gets a Kenwood 6015 BT audio system with satellite navigation. Apart from this, the vehicle gets rear parking sensors with a reverse camera too. The MU-7 comes with an independent double wishbone, torsion bar spring and anti-roll bar at the front along with gas-sealed shock absorbers.
Considering the fact that Isuzu isn’t a well known brand in India, the vehicle is priced quite optimistically. The MU-7 competes with the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Hyundai Santa Fe as well as the upcoming Ford Endeavour. Rivals from Toyota and Hyundai are selling in good numbers because they have a wide-spread service network. Isuzu hardly has any brand awareness here and it is going to be quite difficult for them to crack the market. However, the Japanese company is expanding at a fast pace which will surely help them boost their presence in the growing Indian car market.
