Okay, so remember MG’s plans to introduce the Expander pickup truck to the Philippines? Well, guess which distributor just threw a spanner in the works? Maxus. With this move, 2020 looks to be a battle royale between two Chinese-by-way-of-England siblings.
For those who don’t follow, the MG Extender is essentially a re-badged Maxus T70 which in turn is based off the T60 Plus—the model that Maxus Philippines opted to bring in. In case you’re wondering, visually, the differences don’t amount to much—new headlights, grille, and bumpers.
What could be the differentiating factor is the powertrain The Maxus T70 uses a 2.0-liter engine available in either a single- or twin-turbo setup. On the other hand, the Maxus T60 uses a more relaxed 2.8-liter diesel engine producing anywhere between 136 to 150 horsepower and 350-360 Nm of torque—at least for markets where it’s currently sold in.
Even more interesting is that the Maxus T60 actually scored a 5-star safety rating in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program or ANCAP. In the markets where it is currently sold, it’s also more affordable than the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Strada, or Nissan Navara making it popular particularly with the off-roading community.
Maxus Philippines has confirmed that the first batch of T60 pickup trucks have arrived yesterday. It will officially launch by the first quarter of 2020 and will be available in three variants: 4x2 M/T, 4x2 A/T, and 4x4 A/T.
It's gonna be tough for Maxus Phil to compete with the established brand from Japan. Though Maxus was new to the market its main weapon to steal a little pie in the truck segment is to offer Cheap Price and Hi-Tech infotainment plus safety measures or fully accessories. Otherwise it would be another wasted investment like the full-size van they are offering I've never seen one in the street.
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