Isuzu Motorsports MU-X confirmed for Dakar

Australasian Safari class-winning Isuzu MU-X SUV to compete in 2015 Dakar Rally in South America

Isuzu Motorsports is taking their class-winning MU-X SUV to the other side of the world to compete in the 2015 Dakar Rally, which starts in Buenos Aires on January 4.

The MU-X entered in the Dakar is the same car that won its class in both the Finke Desert Race in June and the Australasian Safari in September this year.

Based on the production MU-X available in showrooms, the racing version features the same 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine although it has been tweaked to produce 180kW and 600Nm - about 50kW and 220Nm more than the roadgoing version.

Isuzu Motorsports team boss Bruce Garland - who finished 11th outright in the 2009 Dakar Rally - will step aside from driving duties this time around, with Adrian Di Lallo filling the seat alongside five-time Dakar competitor and Bruce’s usual co-driver Harry Suzuki.

We always want to beat the Toyota HiLuxes

Di Lallo piloted the MU-X to class victory and fifth outright in this year's Australasian Safari and is confident the production-based SUV has what it takes.

"The car's got what it takes to finish, obviously it'll be really challenging, but we have the right equipment and a very good chance at placing well in the production class and we'll be doing our absolute best," he said.

The team is also quietly confident, however spokesman Dave Harding is mindful of the event's gruelling nature.

"We're quietly confident we can finish and post a good result," he said.

"There's so much luck involved, it's a pretty foolish person that says 'we'll finish on the podium'.

"We'd like to be one of the top-running diesels."

The team also know who they have to keep their eyes on in order to succeed.

"We always want to beat the Toyota HiLuxes," Harding said.

Although the Dakar hasn't run its traditional route between continental Europe and the Senegalese capital in seven years, the now-South American race is still regarded as one of the most arduous off-road rallies in the world.

The 2015 edition of the Dakar will cover 8,500km across Argentina, Bolivia and Chile over 15 days. This year's event will also include 'marathon' stages; longer stages during which mechanical repairs are prohibited.

The Dakar starts in Buenos Aires on January 4 and concludes January 17 after looping over the Andes mountain range to Iquique on the Chilean coast.