Driving is one of the most fundamental aspects of our work here at Top Gear Philippines, and we’ve driven on our fair share of roads across the country throughout the years. However, we don’t often get to go on road trips outside the main island of Luzon. Because, you know, logistics.
But every once in a while, carmakers give us the opportunity to try out their latest models on roads less traveled (by the motoring media). Just like recently, when Isuzu Philippines brought us to the beautiful island of Palawan to get behind the wheel of none other than the facelifted MU-X.
The route was simple, but it was more grueling than it sounds. We flew into the island via Puerto Princesa, we hopped onto the MU-Xs, and we just started heading towards El Nido. Weather wasn’t the best, but it definitely could’ve been worse. There was heavy downpour as soon as we hit the road, but the skies cleared up over the afternoon. The route is six-hour drive or so, which means we had our work cut out for us.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Entry-level Hyundai Santa Fe GL launched with P1.998-M price tag
LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 rides will be free for the rest of the day
This is only my second time driving from Puerto Princesa to El Nido, so I hadn’t really memorized the route prior to this trip. Be that as it may, it was fairly easy for us to navigate Palawan’s highways with the MU-X. Even through the seemingly never-ending twisties, the midsize SUV still feels stable for its size. There’s body roll, but a forgivable amount for a vehicle this big.
And it being big, it also meant we had big, meaty tires underneath us and a very durable suspension setup supporting the vehicle. This made the MU-X the ideal companion on this road trip, seeing as Palawan’s roads aren’t exactly the kind you’d comfortably drive a measly sedan or hatchback on without any worries whatsoever.
Isuzu’s oomphy 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine pushing 189hp and 450Nm of torque under the hood also made it easy to go up and down Palawan’s mountainous terrain. It also had us making light work of overtaking the slow-paced vehicles along the way.
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen delays, our drive to El Nido took longer than expected. It got dark way before we reached the town proper, but we eventually reached Seda Lio safely without any mishaps. We stayed in the area for a few days, and we also made it a point to explore El Nido and its beautiful islands while we were there.
Now, instead of just talking here about our recent adventure with IPC, I’ll just let you watch the full vlog instead. Here, you’ll get to hear more of our insights on the Isuzu MU-X and see what we saw while we were in Palawan. Click play on the embedded video below, and enjoy. You can also scroll further below to see some snaps from our drive. Better yet, you can also read our full review of the top-of-the-line MU-X and the 4x2 version by clicking on these links.
Exploring Palawan with the Isuzu MU-X 2025:
More photos of the Isuzu MU-X 2025 in El Nido, Palawan
