AC Industrials, the most aggressive component of the Ayala Corporation group of companies, launched
Maxus Philippines on June 5, 2019 at the Blue Leaf Filipinas in Paranaque City. Maxus Philippines also introduced its flagship model the Maxus G10 multipurpose vehicle (MPV) and the Maxus V80 passenger and utility vans.
Maxus Philippines is the sixth automotive brand partner under AC Industrials’ wing, which includes other world-renowned brands Honda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Kia and KTM motorcycles.
The Maxus auto brand traces its British roots to as far back as the creation of the Leyland Steam Wagon 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 Maxus 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. Throughout 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.
In 2004, Leyland DAF Vans (LDV), a successor company to Leyland Motors, launched the Maxus brand. 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 eG10 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.”
The Maxus G10 MPV offers “Max Design” in a 9-seat configuration that offers spacious interior amenities. All seats are adjustable, which includes four captain’s seats in the second and third rows and a 60:40 split rear bench seat with tumble. There’s a flexible and spacious luggage section, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with USB and Bluetooth connectivity and six speakers, a 220-volt power supply, and front and rear air-conditioning system.
For “Max Safety,” the Maxus G10 features driver, front passenger and side airbags, 3-point seat belts for all seats, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and front and rear parking sensors and most importantly, the double-layer welding technology that meets European MPV active and passive safety standards. For “Max Stability” and handling, the G10 is fitted with a McPherson strut suspension at the front and 5-link coil springs at the rear. The chassis was tuned by Lotus and GM Pan-Asia to increase stability and improve handling.
To offer “Max Adventures” for all members of the family, the G10 is powered by a Euro 4-compliant 1.9-liter turbo diesel engine equipped with a variable geometry turbine (VGT) turbocharger that produces 150 Ps (148 horsepower) at 4,000 rpm and 350 Newton-meters of torque between 1,800 and 2,600 rpm. With a 6-speed automatic transmission to transmit the power effectively and efficiently, the Maxus G10 is designed to go on road trips with power and fuel-efficiency “to the Max!” The Maxus G10 is offered at a “Max Savings” special introductory price of just P1,680,000.
Maxus Philippines introduced the Maxus V80 as an extremely versatile van model that can ferry passengers or cargo, reliably, safely, and efficiently. Powered by a 2.5-liter CRDi turbo diesel engine with VGT, the front-wheel-drive V80 comes in three variants: Comfort 13-seat passenger van, Transport 18-seat passenger van, and Flex 3-seat cargo van.
The Maxus V80 Comfort is positioned as “Max-Mataas, Max-Maluwag, and Max-Protektado”, meaning it’s taller, roomier, and safer than other vans in its class. Its 13-seat capacity makes it ideal as a family van, as a school bus, or as a passenger shuttle service. Being the widest in its class, the V80 Comfort offers “Max Capacity” as it can be loaded to up to 1.1 tons. Its dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX, and rear proximity sensors offer “Max Protection.” The V80 Comfort is offered at a “Max-Sulit” introductory price of P1,570,000.
The second variant, the Maxus V80 Transport, offers an 18-seat passenger capacity that is ideal for ferrying commuters, such as the shuttle service or UV Express business. It can also provide a fuel-efficient and reliable solution to the country’s mass transportation problem. Equipped with the same engine and safety features of the V80 Comfort, it comes with a “Max-Sulit” introductory price of P1,288,000.
Finally, the 3-seat Maxus V80 Flex is the delivery van that’s “Max-Malakas, Max-Malaki, Max-Maaasahan”, meaning more powerful, bigger, and more dependable. With the same body dimensions, engine, safety features, and load capacity as the V80 Comfort and V80 Transport, the V80 Flex is the ideal van for small-and-medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) and business owners who require “Max Flexibility” for the powerful and efficient transport of their goods and cargo. The V80 Flex offers spacious, flexible interiors and is made “Max-Sulit” with its introductory price of only P1,190,000.
Maxus Philippines President Felipe Estrella III, 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.”
To minimize “downtime” during maintenance servicing, Maxus Philippines’ aftersales services are set to “Max It Out!” for its customers with a periodic maintenance service (PMS) interval schedule of the first 5,000 kilometers and every succeeding 10,000 kilometers, or once a year, whichever comes first. This is far more convenient and more cost-effective than the industry-standard 5,000-km PMS interval. The general warranty is three (3) years or 100,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. The company also offers a 24/7 emergency roadside assistance, a pick-up and delivery service for customers, and on-site servicing for corporate fleet accounts.
And for that “Max Customer Convenience“, Maxus Philippines will soon establish a dealership network that will be accessible to customers right in the heart of Metro Manila, particularly at the Greenfield District Showroom and Service Center in Mandaluyong City—their first showroom and aftersales facilities. This will be followed by Maxus ASEANA Manila Bay in Paranaque City, Maxus Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and Maxus Cebu in the Visayas region.
Photos by Lester Dizon
