Ayala Corporation subsidiary AC Industrials launched Maxus Philippines on June 5, 2019, at the Blue Leaf Filipinas in Paranaque City. As their initial offering, Maxus Philippines officials introduced their flagship model the G10 family multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), as well as three iterations of their V80 van: the Comfort, Flex, and Transport variants.
Maxus Philippines is the sixth automotive brand partner under AC Industrials’ wing, which includes other world-renowned car brands Honda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Kia, and KTM motorcycles.
Maxus Philippines President Felipe Estrella 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, but 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.”
Heritage
The Maxus auto brand traces its British roots to as far back as the creation of the Leyland Steam Van in 1896, 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 nameplate first appeared with the launch of the “Maxus” prototype LD100 van at the end of 2004. The distinctive Maxus V80 and Maxus G10 first rolled out in 2011 and 2014, respectively, with the Maxus G10 establishing the Maxus brand image.
Through this 123-year history, 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.
Leyland DAF Vans (LDV), a successor company to Leyland Motors, launched the Maxus brand in 2004, and in 2010, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) acquired the assets of the LDV Group and continued the Maxus brand that 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 global collaboration in vehicle engineering, design, assembly, and distribution.”
Initial Offering
Maxus G10
The Maxus’ flagship MPV is a sleek-looking 9-seater that is perfect for moving families and executives alike. It boasts of four captain’s seats in the second and third rows, 60:40 split rear bench seat with tumble, flexible and spacious luggage room, 7-inch touchscreen radio with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, a 6-speaker system, a 220-volt power supply, and front and rear air-conditioning system.
The Maxus G10 is powered by a Euro4 1.9-liter diesel engine equipped with VGT charger mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that produces a maximum 148 HP of power at 4,000rpm and a maximum torque of 350 Nm at 1,800 to 2,600rpm. It is fitted with a McPherson suspension at the front and the 5-link coil springs at the rear, and chassis timing by Lotus and GM Pan-Asia resulting in increased stability and better handling.
The G10’s safety features include 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; ABS + EBD, front and rear parking sensors, a reverse parking camera, and an immobilizer.
The Maxus G10 comes in silver, gray, white, gold, and black, and is available at a special introductory price of PHP 1,680,000.00.
Maxus V80 Comfort, Flex and Transport
The Maxus V80 is the brand’s boxier and more affordable people-mover line that is available in three configurations for different purposes.
The V80 Comfort has a 13-seat capacity that makes it ideal as a family van, as a school bus or passenger shuttle service. Being the widest in its class, the V80 Comfort can be loaded to up to 1.1 tons and is sufficiently powered by a 2.5-liter CRDI diesel engine with VGT. The V80 Comfort comes with dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX, and rear proximity sensors. This configuration is offered in four colors – silver, gray, white, and brown – and carries the special introductory price of PHP 1,570,000.00.
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The 3-seater V80 Flex is their van for small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs). Devoid of seats in the cabin, the V80 Flex offers spacious and flexible interiors to efficiently transport of cargo of various shapes and sizes. It is available in silver, gray, and white, and priced at PHP 1,190,000.00 (special introductory price).
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Lastly, the V80 Transport variant offers an 18-seat passenger capacity that is ideal for the shuttle service business. It features a unique seating configuration of 3-4-5-6, with the 6 passengers accessing their seats from the rear doors. This variant comes with a price of PHP 1,288,000.00.
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Aftersales
Maxus Philippines vehicles come with a periodic maintenance service (PMS) interval schedule 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 5,000-km PMS interval. The general warranty is 3 years or 100,000 kms, whichever comes first. The brand also offers 24/7 emergency roadside assistance, a pick-up and delivery service for customers, and on-site servicing for corporate fleet accounts.
Network
Maxus Philippines is set to establish its dealer network around Metro Manila. The first showroom and after-sales facility will be the Greenfield District Showroom and Service Center in Mandaluyong City, which will be followed by dealerships at ASEANA Manila Bay in Paranaque City, Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and Cebu in the Visayas region. Maxus Philippines will also be appointing other dealers across the country 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.