Maxus van rises from grave

The Maxus van will arrive here late this year. Birmingham-based van maker LDV introduced the van in 2004, but the company collapsed in 2009. That's when the Chinese giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) moved in and purchased the intellectual rights to the van.

SAIC, which partners both General Motors and Volkswagen in its home market is China's largest carmaker. There is no word on whether SAIC intends to also export cars to Australia. 

It will be distributed by White Motor Corporation, the importer of Chinese Higer buses and JAC trucks. The large van will be pitched at European models from Fiat, Renault, Peugeot and Ford although it will come with a price advantage. 

WMC officials were keen to point out that while the Maxus will be cheaper to buy and run than its European competitors, it will not be "dirt cheap".

The vans are fitted with anti-skid brakes and dual front airbags. Electronic Stability Control is not available currently, but WMC is hoping the system will be available when the vehicle is launched or at least soon after. 

Side airbags may also be added later. The extra safety gear will be crucial if the Maxus is to break into major fleets including the lucrative ambulance market.

A high level of standard features will be offered to lure customers away from the Europeans including LED driving lights, dual sliding doors, alloy wheels, dual-zone airconditioning and on some models, reversing cameras and tyre pressure monitoring systems.

The Maxus is a front-drive van that runs a common rail turbo diesel engine produced by Italian brand VM Motori, the same company that makes the diesels for several Holden vehicles.

It is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder generating 100kW and 330Nm of torque and is linked up to a five-speed manual or option six-speed Allison automatic. The official fuel consumption figure is a reasonable but not class leading 7.7L/100km.

WMC will bring in seven V80 models including three cargo versions and four passenger models. The passenger versions will include an 11 seat and 15 models in standard and luxury formats.

The cargo van line-up will include a short wheelbase and long wheelbase with standard roof height as well as a long wheelbase version with a high roof.

Load capacity will stretch from nine and 14 cubic metres, while the payload will peak at 1800kg. Working Wheels was able to examine the Maxus V80 at the International Truck Trailer and Equipment Show in Melbourne and the vehicles appear to be well made.

While there were some minor imperfections visible with items such as interior trim, the quality of the surfaces and the fit and finish of exterior panels appeared to be a considerable step up on other Chinese commercial vehicle products.

The exterior design is actually attractive, something that is not often the case with Chinese manufactured vehicles. In this case, the design was actually the work of the British LDV stylists and the shape has not changed since it was introduced.

WMC managing director Jason Pecotic says the Maxus' mix of features, European feel and competitive prices will give the cargo and passenger models an edge in the market. He adds that the Maxus models could also appeal to customers who might have otherwise bought a people mover from an established brand.

"They also represent a real challenger in the upper end of the people mover MPV market where they represent real value and serious alternative to Japanese and European models."