HITCH VIEW
I need to mention the vehicle’ s new reversing camera system. On all models, it has been improved to provide a better image quality on the screen of the internal infotainment system. It has also been given a special hydrophobic coating to repel water and dirt, and it also has a wider field of view.
However, the LS-T and X-Terrain variants get the 360 ° Surround View Monitor, which utilises four cameras, one on each side. It can be used to give a bird’ s-eye or underbody view of the vehicle. There are a couple other modes, too, which provide front and frontside views – very useful for negotiating tight parking spaces.
But my personal favourite was the Hitch View. This ingenious system contains a series of dynamic guidelines that appear on the infotainment screen when reversing. The guides detect and lock onto the hitch of the caravan, and all you need to do is follow the lines as you back up to the van. But here’ s the best bit: these lines depict the lowest point of the vehicle’ s towbar and the highest point of the towball, so as you back up to the hitch, you can very easily ascertain if the coupling has been raised high enough on the jockey wheel. It’ s brilliant.
I had the opportunity to tow a Jayco weighing about 2500kg. The tow rating on the MU-X hasn’ t changed. I wouldn’ t necessarily say it gets moving from a standstill any faster than previous versions of the vehicle, but it certainly isn’ t hesitant, either. With a substantial load on the back, the vehicle will respond smoothly when you put your foot down, and it won’ t struggle to get up to touring speed. The power and torque are there, it’ s smooth, turbo lag is minimal, and it still feels like a strong, stable towing platform.
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