Ayala group ships in new Maxus car brand

Ayala Corporation’s automotive business arm, AC Industrials, introduced the Maxus brand last Wednesday in glittering rites at the Blue Leaf Filipinas in Paranaque City.

Maxus is the sixth automotive brand partner under AC Industrials, after Honda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Kia and KTM motorcycles.

Maxus Philippines is initially bringing in two models, both vans: the G10 MPV and the full-size V80 van, the later coming in three variants—Comfort, Flex and Transport. Maxus also has a pickup and other vehicles in other markets but is yet to announce if and when they will bring them to the Philippines.

The Maxus brand traces its roots to Britain’s Leyland Steam Van more than 100 years ago (in 1896, to be exact), followed by the start of Leyland Motors in 1907. This company eventually expanded its products to include sedans, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout its long history. The Maxus nameplate first appeared with the launch of the “Maxus” prototype LD100 van at the end of 2004, by which time the company was owned by Leyland DAF Vans (LDV), the successor to Leyland Motors. The current Maxus V80 and G10 first rolled out in 2011 and 2014, respectively, with the Maxus G10 taking on the role the brand’s flagship model.

Today, Maxus has become one of Europe’s most influential and recognized commercial vehicle brands, and a leader in the design, production, and distribution of international commercial vehicles.

In 2010, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) acquired the assets of the LDV Group and continued the Maxus brand, which has current distributorships in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Africa, among others. In the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, Maxus vehicles continue to be sold under the LDV brand.

Maxus has been investing in new technologies, prototyping a pure electric wide-body light bus in 2014, an all-electric MPV in 2016, and a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and internet-connected SUV in 2017.

It is this European heritage, coupled with the powerful global support of SAIC that provides AC Industrials with the confidence to introduce the Maxus automobile brand in the Philippines. AC Industrials and Maxus Philippines CEO Arthur Tan said, “The Maxus brand continues AC Industrials’ strategy of providing automobiles and motorcycles that not only speak of the rich heritage of their countries of origin, but are also the best examples of a global collaboration in vehicle engineering, design, assembly, and distribution.”

Maxus G10

Slightly longer than a Toyota Alphard, the Maxus G10 is a 9-seat MPV that offers spacious interior amenities, highlighted by adjustable seating for all seats, which includes four captain’s seats in the second and third rows and 60:40 split rear bench seat with tumble, flexible and spacious luggage room, a 7-inch touchscreen radio with USB and Bluetooth and 6-speaker system, a 220-volt power supply, and front and rear air-conditioning system.

The G10 features double-layer welding technology that meets European MPV active and passive safety standards, driver, front passenger and side airbags, 3-point seatbelts for all seats, ISOFIX child seats, and front and rear parking sensors. The G10 rides on front McPherson struts and 5-link coil springs at the rear. Chassis tuning was done by no less than world-renowned sports car and handling specialist Lotus, as well as GM Pan-Asia.

The P1,680,000 G10 is powered by a Euro 4 1.9-liter 150ps/350Nm diesel engine equipped with a VGT turbocharger mated to a 6-speed automatic.

Maxus V80 Comfort, Flex and Transport

The Maxus V80 Comfort is a tall 13-seater van that can serve as a large and spacious family van. The widest in its class, the V80 Comfort can be loaded to up to 1.1 tons, and is powered by a 2.5-liter CRDI diesel engine with VGT. The V80 Comfort’s boasts dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX, and rear proximity sensors and comes at a price of P1,570,000.

The 3-seater V80 Flex is the cargo van version of the V80 Comfort. With the same body dimensions, engine, safety features, and load capacity as the V80 Comfort, the V80 Flex is ideal for small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) who require powerful and efficient transport of their cargo. The V80 Flex offers spacious, flexible interiors. The Maxus V80 Flex retails for P1,190,000.

Lastly, the V80 Transport variant offers an 18-seat passenger capacity which is ideal for school and shuttle service. It is equipped with the same engine and safety features of the other V80 variants. The Transport version comes with a price of P1,288,000.

Maxus Philippines President Felipe Estrella, in describing the company and its vehicle offers, said: “All of our automotive brands offer unique value propositions to particular segments of the motoring market, and we envision Maxus to be very competitive in the commercial vehicle category, particularly in the passenger van and MPV segments. Not only does its strength lie in transporting families, Maxus also adds a distinct proposition to cargo transport and shuttle services, offering our multitude of Pinoy small and medium-sized entrepreneurs the opportunity to get their shuttle and cargo businesses going in style, comfort and power.”

Maxus vehicles have a periodic maintenance service (PMS) interval of the first 5,000 kms and every succeeding 10,000 kms, or once a year, whichever comes first. This is more convenient and more cost-efficient compared to the industry-standard 5,000km PMS interval. The general warranty is 3 years or 100,000kms, whichever comes first.

Maxus Philippines also offers a 24/7 emergency roadside assistance, pick up and delivery service for customers, and on-site servicing for corporate fleet accounts.

The first Maxus showroom and service center will be at the Greenfield District in Mandaluyong City. Subsequently, dealerships at ASEANA Manila Bay in Paranaque City, Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and Cebu in the Visayas region will open. More dealers across the country will open following the establishment of its initial network.
For more information on Maxus Philippines and the G10 MPV and the V80 Comfort, Flex and Transport vans, log on to www.maxus.com.ph.