Team-BHP - Isuzu planning to launch MU-X. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 23.99 lakhs

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Originally Posted by ank.nsit (Post 4232093)

Did Isuzu further reduce the price of MU-X after the actual implementation of GST ?

This product makes more sense as compared to XUV500/HEXA, but feels overpriced in comparison.

Yes, they did. The 4X2 is priced at 22.38 Lcas (ex-showroom, Chennai) and the 4X4 at 24.25 ex-showroom. So a reduction of around 1.7 Lacs, which seems par for the course. IMO, they should have gone more aggressive and used the opportunity to price-correct substantially and go just under the psychologically important 20 Lac mark for the 4X2, which would have made it a great value offering.

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Originally Posted by ByDesign (Post 4222338)

I spent time with the 4x4 variant yesterday in the showroom and had a nice test drive with it today here in Hyderabad. I felt the infotainment is excellent! I don't see any shortfalls. It has enough steering mounted controls and connectivity options, USB, Bluetooth with phone sync etc. The screen is very responsive and the audio quality was really really good when I played through my paired iPhone. The car lacks navigation which was a bit annoying, but apart from that it's pretty good I feel.

The car isn't overpriced! For the quality of interiors, suspension, comfort, engine, the Isuzu experience of diesel and SUV's, this car is fantastic at under 30L. The Hexa, which I test drove yesterday is priced so low but it still is selling about 1/6th to 1/7th of the Innova's sales. Even if the car is priced at 20L, we Indians will not buy it. Why, you ask? Because that age old myth of "Maruti's are easiest to maintain" and "any mechanic can fix a maruti" still holds good here. There are sentiments which are more rumor driven than technically informed. If someone knows about Isuzu, the Japanese build quality and work ethic, or simply spends a little time with the vehicle, they will understand it's value and buy it.

I think I'm going to book this 4x4 over the Hexa XTA (the top automatic) simply because the Isuzu felt GREAT.

I agree with most of your remarks. However, my gripe with Isuzu is the omission of full safety kit, i.e. only 2 airbags being offered rather than 6. This is completely unacceptable, specially considering that Isuzu wants to position MUX as a competitor to Fortuner / Endeavour. Price not withstanding, 6 airbags not being offered even as an option is just not done in this segment. I loved the MUX based on its overseas reviews, and would have bought it. However, I am not going to spend 25+ big ones for an SUV that does not offer me complete peace of mind with regards to safety of my family.

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Originally Posted by ByDesign (Post 4222338)

Read the comments in that review as well to understand what people see in an Isuzu over a feature rich SUV.

That is mostly the fan boys :) See any review of any car make and you will see similar praise, especially, people will always compare it against Toyota, be it in the US or Australia.

All SUV's in this segment are reliable and go anywhere types, be it from Toyota, Mitsubishi or Ford and little differentiates them as far as reliability goes.

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Originally Posted by ByDesign (Post 4234151)

Should be taking delivery in a few days, say between 18th and 20th this month. Will keep the thread posted.

All things said and done, the 4jji engine is exceedingly reliable. I agree on the not having 6 airbags bit though. But still, over the past 3 decades, we've owned over 6 cars and not one of them had more than 2 airbags.

Congratulations! Your's would be the second on the forum then. Getting it in Hyd or Del? I vaguely remember reading your log where you transported almost the entire house in your Bolero from Del to Hyd. :thumbs up

With regards to the airbag thing, not to nit pick, but, times are also changing. It is much more probable to encounter cars going way over the speed limits on good roads today, than it was at any time in the past 3 decades.

Just to add to the discussion on airbags. I think we have no one to blame but ourselves for car makers providing only 2 airbags even on a 25+ lakh premium SUV. We just dont bother about safety much. Infact some of my friends when discussing this topic were of the view that when its your time, no amount of protections can save you anyways.

However, just think about it. If you have the capacity to spend 25 lakhs, there is no reason to not spend 5 lakhs more and get the full safety kit. God forbid if any one of your loved ones in the rear seat happens to meet with a fatal accident in a side hit, you will regret your entire life. Would that be worth the 5 lakh saved then?

So I strongly believe that no matter how good cars like MUX are, the people who can afford such cars should not buy these as long as the manufacturers dont provide the full safety kit, like they do in overseas markets.

This is the best automobile forum in the country and at least we must strive to get the manufacturers to give us the best, albeit at a slight premium.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nvldvr (Post 4234191)

However, just think about it. If you have the capacity to spend 25 lakhs, there is no reason to not spend 5 lakhs more and get the full safety kit. God forbid if any one of your loved ones in the rear seat happens to meet with a fatal accident in a side hit, you will regret your entire life. Would that be worth the 5 lakh saved then?

Well said friend. This is my exact thoughts too. Yes, the ex-showroom price of the Endeavour and the Fortuner 4WD are 5 lakhs more than the MUX. However, they give you much more than the MUX does, for example a Proper Touch Screen with NAV, Side/Curtain Air Bags, Latest generation engine with 6-Speed automatic, etc.

So, I don't understand how MUX is value/rightly priced, when it is stripped down of the above items? Isuzu should add the the above items and then price it accordingly. For most people with 25 lakhs ex-showroom budget the extra 2/3 lakhs for a better kitted vehicle don't matter at all.

My 2 cents.......
Toyota was selling Fortuner with just 2 Air bags for the last 8 years at a higher price point than MU-X. They were selling average of 2K units a month ! So not having 6 air-bags is not a major deal breaker IMO.
XUV and HEXA having 6-air bags for their top end model is not a valid argument because the build quality & engine of these 2 vehicles do not come anywhere close to MU-X.

Agree with Sheel. And also, just because cars were being sold with lesser safety features in the past is no justification to skimp on them now. With that logic, there were cars being sold without airbags, abs, disc brakes etc in the not too distant past. That does not mean its ok for a manufacturer to sell such cars now.
Like someone has already mentioned in this thread, MUX is a yesterdays car at yesterdays prices. Its competition has moved several notches up, and its wrong for Isuzu to think it can still compete with them, especially considering that it hardly has any presence in the country at all.

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Originally Posted by binum (Post 4236177)

My 2 cents.......
Toyota was selling Fortuner with just 2 Air bags for the last 8 years at a higher price point than MU-X.

Let us talk about today's scenario. There is no point saying people used to buy Maruti 800s so why do we need the new Baleno?

I am talking about what is available today from other manufacturers. Doesn't make sense to justify a current model with discontinued older models.

If not from my posting, you should be able to get an idea when you compare the sales figure of the Fortuner/Endeavour vs the *rightly priced* MUX.

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Originally Posted by 4x4addict (Post 4236664)

I am sure 90% of Cars/SUVs sold today are with 2 air-bags.
In the case of MU-X I agree, @Rs.28 Lakhs OTR price (Bangalore) for a 4x2 AT model without 6 air-bags doesn't justify the price, but the point I am making - until recently Fortuner was selling the earlier model which had only 2 Air-bags for 31 Lakhs OTR and it was selling huge numbers. I guess everyone overlooked this omission because of the Toyota badge. The new Fortuner is Rs.35 Lakhs OTR for 4x2 AT, I am just pondering is it worth the 7 extra ones ??? IMO the MU-X is not selling because it has only 2 air-bags, it's the brand awareness, service center availability and Isuzu could have priced it 1 to 1.5 Lakhs cheaper. I don't doubt the quality of Isuzu, they make some of the best diesel engine vehicles in the world .

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Originally Posted by Dry Ice (Post 4234171)

Thank you! Driving it has been a pleasure the past couple of days. Delivery took way longer than usual. Nearly 2 months or more since the booking. Already done two long airport drives and Outer Ring Road (ORR) drives here in Hyderabad where the highways are great to cruise in such a truck. Cruise control is wonderful and the suspension is very mature. Seat comfort and ergonomics are excellent. More detailed review once I drive it a little more and make a list of the pros and cons.

I've never been a feature-head. I don't use a checklist and compare manufacturers' models and go for the one with more electronic gizmos and gadgetry. This car lacks auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, etc etc. but really, I'm not that lazy that I can't turn on the headlights when its dark and the wipers when it's raining. Hehe...

Here she is, in all her pearl white glory. It's a 2WD AT. Couldn't get the 4WD as the dealer said there were long delays in production.

ByDesugn, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights are a bit of irritants actually, if you ask me. Because they turn on or off sooner than or later than you want them to. All car users do not turn on lights at the same second. We normally do within 5-10 minutes of one another. Similarly with rain, too. Best to control these two features manually. More so, wipers. And, nice car you got there. Some more pics wouldn't hurt anyone. :D Don't worry about 2WD. Unless, you are a hardcore off-roader, you haven't missed much.