The MU-X is driven along the narrow and winding Padawan-Link Road.
ONE recent afternoon, we tested the mettle of a hardy off-roader along the twisty and steep 50km Padawan-Link Road.
My two colleagues and I chatted away as the scenery whizzed past our big and comfortable four-wheeler, cocooning us against the external elements over the dips and crests of the rugged country road.
We were, of course, travelling in the Isuzu MU-X — courtesy of Isuzu Malaysia — and this 4X4 seven-seater was in its element on the rough terrain.
While in Kuching recently for a month-long promotion run, the MU-X had been put through all kinds of terrain.
At that time, the state election had shifted our focus to the intensity of the political campaigns between the BN government and the opposition in the 80 seats at stake. BN won two seats — Bukit Kota and Bukit Sari — unopposed on Nomination Day.
Amidst the hubbub of the hustings, the MU-X threw up a challenge for us — a test drive to pit its chassis and bodywork against of the arduous features of the Link Road.
The MU-X’s ample power and legendary fuel efficiency enabled us to log almost 3,000km on less than RM400 of fuel. I had driven the MU-X to the Lundu-Sematan area twice and the Serian-Mambong-Bau area four times over the two-week long election campaign.
Besides fuel efficiency, the MU-X has excellent pickup comparable to its closest competitors. On the road, its aero-dynamic body had no problems facing fierce winds and sudden downpours.
In fact, the vehicle’s road-holding is in a class of its own. Its superb handling has even surprised drivers of other 4X4 roadsters.
A beautiful backdrop such as this is quite common along the Padawan-Link Road.
Worth every ringgit
The MU-X is, indeed, a powerful vehicle worth every ringgit of its price. With a powerful 2.5 L VGS Turbo Intercooler Diesel engine, it handles off-road conditions like a breeze.
Travelling along the narrow and winding Padawan-Link Road, its power and stability were tested to the limit right after we reached the junction of the Kuching-Serian Road not far from Tapah Bazaar.
Passing through kampungs Mundai and Simpok was quite tricky, especially with on-coming traffic, due to the narrowness of the road. And the MU-X is quite a large vehicle.
After Kampung Simpok, the journey became rather challenging as the road got narrower and more winding. But the MU-X’s capability to negotiate tight corners smoothly and the positive steering feel gave me much-needed confidence.
In fact, I had to stay alert consistently behind the wheel as there had been numerous reports that the road could be used as a racing track by motor-bikers.
After driving for about an hour from Kuching, we made a pit stop at Teng Bukap, a small bazaar, deep in Bidayuh heartland. There, we took a half hour tea break. The nearby mountains were already shrouded in mist even though it was just three o’clock in the afternoon.
Surprisingly, most of the shopkeepers at Teng Bukap are Bidayuhs. Perhaps, it is the only Bidayuh-majority bazaar in the whole of Sarawak.
According to one of the shopkeepers, most of the Chinese have left their shops behind to settle in urban areas. Most of the old shops have been left idle and uninhabited.
After the pit stop, we throttled up in order to make good time to reach our office in Kuching before the paper was put to bed.
Connectivity and communication
The Padawan-Link Road leads to the Tebedu-Serian Road where it passes by villages, schools, churches, pepper gardens and oil palm plantations.
Most of the people in the area are Bidayuhs and the road has provided them with good connectivity and communication.
Due to the rapid pace of development, most of their homes are now connected to the main grid and the main water supply line.
During the test drive, from the comfortable seats of the MU-X, we took in the breath-taking scenery of the mountains in the distance on the way home. It was somewhat similar to some of the beautiful landscapes in China, especially in Kunming which we visited last year — courtesy of the Chinese Consulate-General in Kuching.
After reaching the junction of the Tebedu-Serian Road, I passed driving duties to a colleague who came along for the ride. With the MU-X’s superb handling, she was much at ease manoeuvring the big and macho machine.
“The vehicle might look big and bulky but it cruises with amazing smoothness and power. I was pleasantly surprised a diesel-powered vehicle could perform as effectively as a car on petrol.
“To reach our office as soon as possible, I drove up to 120kph. But no one felt the speed. And in no time, we were home free. It was an enjoyable drive for me,” my colleague enthused.
The MU-X is a superb vehicle and my colleagues who tagged along were all safe and sound and happy when we reached Kuching.
Most of the time along the steep hills, I just stepped on the accelerator and power oozed from the MU-X’s humongous engine capacity. Overall, it was another excellent performance from this elegant Isuzu workhorse.
Driving back to Kuching during peak traffic was not much of a problem with the MU-X’s smooth gear transmission.
The same goes for parking as the MU-X is installed with a reverse drive camera — a big difference from the D-Max V-Cross which I had previously test-driven.
Indeed, the MU-X has passed all the tests on various terrains with flying colours. The Mu-X comes with models — MU-X 2.5L 4×2 (AT) priced at RM153,140.55 ODR with insurance. Another model — the MU-X 2.5L 4×4 (AT) — costs RM166,087.39 ODR with insurance.
The two models are available in four colours — Cosmic Black, Uluru Brown, Splash White and Titanium Silver.
The MU-X parked alongside a 4WD at Teng Bukap Bazaar.