Comparison Review: Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk vs. Isuzu MU-X LS-U
By Tony O'Kane & Tim O'Brien
Variants Reviewed | Fuel, combined cycle | ||
Model | Power/Torque | claimed | tested |
Isuzu MU-X LSU 4WD | _130kW/380Nm | 8.4 l/100km | 11.7 l/100km |
Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 4WD | _200kW/316Nm | 10.0 l/100km | 14.2 l/100km |
OBJECTIVE
Let’s say you’re not Bear Grylls, but you’d kind-of like to be.
You know, you like to occasionally get yourself out under a desert sky to stand on a rock no-one has stood on for a thousand years.
But you’re more than just a marketing cliche. After all, not ALL of your spare time is spent leaping four-wheels in the air over sand dunes or plunging across fast-moving flooded streams.
You do, in fact, spend a lot of your time on ‘normal’ roads - even city ones - just getting yourself around.
So which 4WD suits you best? You’ll need one with a low range transfer case to get you to the back of beyond, but you also want one with a few creature comforts and not too much of a chore on road.
If you’ve got around $50k to spend there are a handful of options. The Toyota FJ Cruiser is one and the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited another - but the latter can be a little too agricultural for daily use and the former is a bit ‘wierd Albert’ in the styling department.
How about, then, the Isuzu MU-X LS-U and the flagship of Jeep’s bold new Cherokee range, the Trailhawk? They’re very close on price and 4WD capability, but a long way apart in design philosophy and execution.
The Isuzu is a diesel wagon based on a rugged 4X4 commercial ute, and the Jeep is a family-sized SUV that’s been roided-up with some trick 4WD mechanical hardware.
Both promise the ability to get you anywhere, but go about it in quite different ways. Let’s see what makes them so similar, and also examine what makes them unique. First up: the Trailhawk.
Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
Vehicle Style: Medium SUV
Price: $47,500
Engine/trans: 200kW/316Nm 3.2 litre petrol 6cyl | 9spd auto
Fuel Economy claimed: 10.0 l/100km | tested: 14.2 l/100km
The Cherokee’s unibody construction makes it a little less suited to hard-core offroading than the ladder-framed Isuzu, but it does make it a lot more civilised on the road.
It’s quiet, the cabin is well-insulated from vibration and there’s a good amount of space inside for five people.
And while it’s nowhere near as tall as the MU-X, the Cherokee Trailhawk is still able to step over obstacles up to 221mm high - just 9mm less than the MU-X’s ground clearance.
2014_jeep_cherokee_trailhawk_review_49