When it comes to luxury vans, one model usually comes to mind, and that’s the Toyota Alphard. However, MG is throwing its hat into the ring with a potential all-electric alternative...or is it Maxus?
Now, the reason for this confusion lies in its name. The electric luxury van in question is called the MG Maxus 9, and it recently premiered at the Bangkok International Motor Show.
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So, is it an MG or a Maxus? Well, it’s more a SAIC Motor Corporation product that wears a different badge in various parts of the world. In this case, the MG Maxus 9 was originally called the Maxus Mifa 9 in its home market. For the Thai market, it wears an MG badge at the front, so at least that clears things up a little bit. That said, Maxus is also present in Thailand, so we’re genuinely curious how this whole arrangement works out.
Anyway, it’s still worth checking out because the van looks plush inside. At the front, there’s an expansive dashboard that adapts a minimalist design and a ‘floating’ look. Its door sidings are trimmed in leather, as one would expect in a luxury van. Rather interestingly, there’s not much in the way of simulated wood and aluminum, nor are there slabs of piano black plastic inside. Confusingly, it still says Maxus on the steering wheel.
A pair of captain’s chairs make up the second row. These are, of course, power adjustable and are trimmed in leather. But on top of that, those seats also come with heating and ventilation, as well as a massage function.
Opt for the higher-spec model and those captain’s chairs are upgraded to Ottomans, also with heating, cooling, and massage functions. These can be controlled via a small touchscreen by the arm rest. Oddly enough, the Mifa 9 name is still stitched on the van’s backrests. As for the third row, it has room for three passengers.
Performance-wise, the MG Maxus 9 uses a single electric motor with a battery capacity of 90 kWh. Its motor pushes out 245hp and 345Nm of torque with all of that being sent to the front wheels. Range is claimed at 540 kilometers per full charge, and it has a 30-80 percent charge time that takes about 30 minutes.
